Homecoming
by oceanwave1
Summary: COMPLETE. Formerly titled 'You're Invited'. Two people, a wedding and romance. NS
1. Michelle

Title: Homecoming  
  
Author: oceanwave  
  
Rating: G Summary: Two people, a wedding and maybe some romance. N/S  
  
Disclaimers: The creators/producers of CSI own the characters; I do not profit from them - I just borrowed them.  
  
Author's Note: If you are a fan of the SCIENCE of CSI then I would suggest that you move on, only because this is a character development story, and not about a particular crime. After so much drama from the show, and a lot of angst from my last fic, I just wanted to have a totally quirky story. We all need to smile! Anyway, I am living proof that writing is addictive. I just finished Saving Sara, and I absolutely wanted to write something else. Well, I hope that you continue to read and review, and enjoy. :)   
  
~*~  
  
The restaurant was cloaked in a light chatter of the evening. A couple sat beside the terrace that overlooked the hotel lobby. The dim lights shadowed over their table, their meals placed nicely in front of them. For her, a tofu and mushroom pasta, and for him a perfectly spiced steak.  
  
"She didn't kill her husband," Nick insisted.   
  
"Yeah, says you and your raging hormones," Sara quipped back, a smile widening on her face. He smiled as well, knowing that she was partially right.  
  
"Trust me; with that much money on the line, she would do a lot to keep all of it and avoid a messy divorce."  
  
"Still," Nick weakly commented, wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
Tonight, both CSI's were having dinner after interviewing the hotel manager. Both hadn't planned on having dinner, but their stomachs suggested otherwise. As they continued with their usual banter, a woman, with dark brown hair, a slight tan, wearing casual pants and a light pink blouse swept onto the floor. She looked around, and finally spotted the person she was looking for.  
  
"Boo," she whispered in his ear. He slightly flinched, but he turned to see who it was.  
  
"Michelle?!" The tone of excitement and astonishment in Nick's voice.  
  
"What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" he questioned, concerned.  
  
"Everything's alright," she replied, hugging Nick tightly.  
  
"Am I interrupting anything?" She wondered. Taking note of the woman who sat across from Nick.  
  
"No, not at all. I'm Sara Sidle," Sara introduced herself. Michelle raised an eyebrow, a look that mirrored that of Nick's earlier.  
  
"We work together," Nick finally articulated.  
  
"Oh. And here I thought you were my baby brother's favor of the month," she jibed, extending her hand out for a handshake. She inspected Sara, noting that she wasn't Nick's "typical" girl. She was looked more put together, without looking like a fake, and well, she was actually wearing clothes.  
  
Sara blushed, neither angry nor embarrassed, but rather, amused.  
  
"Besides, I'm not Nick's type. For one thing, I'm not blonde, and I haven't really joined any beauty contests," Sara replied.  
  
"Too bad. I was hoping that Vegas would change Nick's bachelor ways," she mocked.   
  
"Sadly, no. I'm pretty sure he still enjoys a lot the life he lived back in Texas."  
  
"Oh, and you definitely can't leave out that part that he loves having people talk about him like he wasn't there," Nick interjected. A crooked smile invading his face.  
  
"Definitely can't" Sara responded. Michelle sat back and smiled.  
  
"Nicky, I like her," she commented, looking at her brother. She noticed that he had lost weight, and looked overworked, he really needs a vacation. 'Aren't you glad you came to visit him' her mind inquired.  
  
Sara sat there, silent.  
  
"She's not too bad, is she," he questioned, winking at Sara. The pink color in her cheeks intensifying.  
  
She blushed and sensed that this was a family moment; Sara excused herself from the table and headed over to the bar. Nick watched her, taking a long sip of the ice water in his hand.  
  
"So, Michelle, tell me what are you doing here?" Questioned Nick, placing the glass on the table and turning his body towards his sister. 'What's going on Michelle?' He asked himself.  
  
"I have some news, and I wanted to come and tell you in person," she paused. 'This doesn't sound good,' Nick thought. There was a pause, Nick inhaled and braced himself for the news.  
  
"I'm getting married!" she squealed. He was surprised, he was overjoyed, and he was speechless.  
  
"What? Who? When?" Nick uttered - sitting up from his seat.  
  
"I'm getting married. Luke Watts. In a month." She answered excitedly.  
  
"Oh my god. Congratulations," he managed to say. He hugged his older sister tightly, she deserved this.  
  
"Surprised? I hope you can come to the wedding," she asked. "Mom, Dad…everyone misses you Nicky," she pleaded.  
  
"Of course I'm going to come," he beamed.  
  
"Great! Now the question is... who are you going to take?" She teased, motioning at Sara.  
  
"Oh no, Sara, no. We work together and... no." He plainly stated. He shook his head and dismissed the issue.  
  
"Uh huh," she responded skeptically, but didn't pursue the topic any longer. She sighted Sara as she made her way back towards the table; 'this was going to be interesting,' she thought.  
  
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*  
  
A/N - I just want to say that I have nothing against blondes. I just needed a contrast to Sara's appearance. You know what to do (click on the blue button below) - even if you don't like it. 


	2. Invitation

Disclaimers: Don't sue me, I don't own any of the characters, and I don't plan to make any money off them.   
  
~*~ Two Weeks Later ~*~  
  
"Hey Nick" Sara called out, poking her head into the lab. She spotted Nick, who was at this time engrossed in an object under the microscope.  
  
"Yeah," He muttered.  
  
"Guess what I found in my mailbox when shift started," she questioned. She stepped into the lab. Both she and Nick were confined in the lab; everyone else was out in the field tonight.  
  
"The new Victoria Secret catalogue," Nick snapped back; the grin on his face widening.   
  
"Ha," she smiled weakly and rolled her eyes. He took a step back from the microscope and walked towards Sara. She handed him the envelope, and took a moment to read over it.  
  
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Michelle Stokes to Jason Watts.  
  
"She sent you an invitation?" Nick asked in surprise.  
  
"You're the one holding the invitation," she commented.  
  
"Well, do you want to go?" He asked sincerely as he looked up from inspecting the invitation. Her eyes shifted from side to side, and she twiddled her thumbs - she looked uneasy, finally, she bit her lower lip.  
  
"Then you don't have to go. You're off the hook, I'll call her, and I'll her that you won't be able to make it to the wedding," Nick answered, taking a hint from her actions.  
  
"What wedding?" Catherine asked, intrigued at the topic she overheard on her way to Grissom's office.  
  
"It's nothing," Nick answered, trying to conceal the invitation. Catherine looked at him, knowing that there was something else.  
  
"My sister Michelle is getting married, and she invited Sara," he admitted. 'Always a sucker for women,' his mind stated.  
  
"That's wonderful; you're going right?" She questioned, looking at Sara.  
  
"She's not going," Nick answered for Sara.  
  
"Well, why not?" Catherine asked. "I know it's not about getting a date. You have Nick over here," she continued, patting Nick's back.  
  
"I don't like weddings," Sara responded.  
  
"And you're not going to come," Nick finally concluded. Catherine glared at him.  
  
"Catherine, stop. I'm not going," Sara said, before Catherine could protest.  
  
Sara stormed out of the room; the only person that stopped her was Grissom,  
  
"Ah, you're here," she smiled. He motioned for her to return to into the room.   
  
"Coffee?" he offered. She shook her head, frustrated that she couldn't leave and bury herself in her work.   
  
"What's up?" She questioned, trying very much to sound normal and trying to keep calm.  
  
"You need to go on vacation," Grissom opened.  
  
"No thanks, we have enough work to do," she scoffed.  
  
"No, I mean you have maxed out on your overtime this month, wait scratch that, for 2 months, plus you haven't taken a vacation in a long time.  
  
"So?" Sara questioned.  
  
"So, I refuse to be spoken off as a slave driver," he commented.  
  
"Ooh, now you can go to the wedding," Catherine interrupted.  
  
"No. If I'm going to be forced to take a vacation, I'd rather stay at home," Sara answered modestly.  
  
"And read forensics journals?" Catherine questioned.  
  
"What's wrong with reading forensics journals?" Sara inquired.  
  
"What wedding?" Grissom asked; a mask of confusion on his face.  
  
"Nick's sister is getting married and she wanted Sara to attend," Catherine answered for both of the CSI's beside her.  
  
"Perfect. Sara, you need a life. Maybe Nick could help you out with that." Sara glared at her supervisor.  
  
"I doubt it."  
  
With that, she forced herself out of the room; leaving Grissom, Catherine, and Nick to their own devices.   
  
Sure enough, for the next two shifts, Sara buried herself in work, never really exposing herself to the others, knowing that they would eventually hound her. She didn't go out to lunch; instead, she ordered in and ate Chinese and pasta. Since she was maxed out on hours, she was confined to the lab, working on evidence that needed to be processed. 'Perfect' her mind said excitedly, sighting that he was on the phone. 'Walk in there, grab the printout and walked out," her mind formulated. Slowly, careful not to make a noise, she stepped into the room, she held her lab coat tightly around her, just to make sure that it didn't flap out and make a noise while she walked. 'Almost there' Sara said to herself.  
  
"Hold on," Nick talked on the phone.  
  
"Sara," he asked.  
  
'Damn' Sara thought to herself.  
  
"Uh huh," she vocalized, pretending to be normal. She stood by the printout and looked at Nick, he too walked over to her and handed her the phone. Sara furrowed her forehead and mouthed "who?"  
  
"My mother" he mouthed back. "No," Sara answered shaking her head. Nick raised an eyebrow, and smiled, putting on his best "sad-puppy-dog" look.  
  
'Damn,' Sara's mind screamed, taking the phone from Nick.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi dear," a voice called out.  
  
"Sara?"  
  
"Yes, that would be me," Sara smiled at the calming sound of the southern accent that poured into the phone. She smiled at Nick, and continued to listen closely.  
  
"Well dear, Michelle has told be about you, and I am just dying to meet you. I've always wondered what Nick has been up to, and well, as much as I trust Nick, there are just some things he isn't willing to tell his mother. I can't wait to talk you,"  
  
"Uh," Sara paused. She smiled once again, 'she's right about that,' her mind commented.  
  
"Well dear, you are coming to the wedding aren't you? Did you receive the invitation," Nick's mother questioned.  
  
"Yes, I did receive it," Sara answered, she looked at Nick, his face full of questions. Her face was filled with confusion as well; she didn't know what to say or how to explain her situation.  
  
"Good, then see you soon. I am very much looking forward to seeing you," Nick's mother continued.  
  
"Yeah, but-" Sara protested.  
  
"Well dear, I have to go, but tell Nicky to call before he leaves Vegas. Send my love," Nick's mother concluded. She left little time for Sara to say anything, as the line went silent.  
  
'Damn,' Sara's mind concluded. She flipped the phone off, and looked at Nick. He just smiled and shrugged.  
  
TBC  
  
A/N - Hmm... what's going to happen next? Do you want to know? Please review and tell me what you honestly think. Feedback would be awesome. :) 


	3. Road Trip

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle.   
  
~*~  
  
The desert surrounded them, the wind blew, and they witnessed a whirlwind of sand in the distance. They had been in the car for a little over an hour now, and had just gotten back on the road after breakfast. Sara sat in the passenger seat with a magazine on her lap. Her attire was different from her look at work, today, she wore a light blue shirt, with worn out jeans. Her hair was down to her shoulders, all frizzy from the humidity.   
  
Nick sat in the driver's seat and looked ahead, the weather seemed perfect for the rest of the way, and he looked over at Sara, who at this time flipping through a magazine. He was amused by her attire, 'she looks good' his mind observed. As he looked at Sara, from head to toe, he smiled when he noticed that Sara had taken off her sandals, sitting in her seat with bare feet. He was glad that Sara had agreed to go home with him; this of course wouldn't have been possible if it hadn't been for his mother's insistence. Plus, it also took Sara a day to find all the things she needed for the wedding, Catherine helped with that.  
  
"Nick, it's really rude to stare," Sara interrupted. She never took her eyes of the page. Nick blushed; he didn't notice that Sara had in fact caught him staring.  
  
"Can I help it if you look beautiful," he teased with a smile. She looked up; it was evident that she wasn't amused. In fact, Nick could almost see the anger brewing inside her.   
  
"Keep that up and soon you're gonna be food for the coyotes," Sara threatened. Nick continued to smile.  
  
"So tell me again why we're driving 22 hours instead of taking a 2 and a half hour flight?" Sara questioned, annoyed at Nick's cheery mood.  
  
"Well, there was a mix up with the bookings, and the flight we were suppose to be on was overbooked…blah, blah, blah," Nick explained.  
  
"Besides, a trip to Texas isn't a trip to Texas if you don't go on a road trip, " Nick glorified.  
  
"Experience or not, it's still killing my hair," Sara retorted. She was finally bored with the magazine. Nick reached over to the car's front panel and turned the radio on. Out poured some country music, he laughed and stared straight ahead.  
  
"Oh hell no," Sara protested.  
  
"Bad hair, bad magazine, uncomfortable seat I can handle; not this."  
  
"What? Sara, it's music." Nick griped.  
  
"Says the man who couldn't book airline tickets," Sara retorted as she changed the station. The calming sounds of jazz fluttered through the air, Norah Jones. Sara closed her eyes, relaxing at the soothing sounds.  
  
"And this is better?" Nick interrupted. Sara snapped her head away from relaxation. She looked at Nick, who looked very comical in some ways, his hair wasn't fixed this morning, and his whole attire was different. Instead of his usual dark shirt and dark pants, he wore a worn out Texas A&M t-shirt and some cargo pants   
  
"Yes," Sara answered.  
  
"No." Nick opposed.  
  
"Sara, when we're in your car, I listen to whatever you want. When you're in my car, you listen to what I want," Nick concluded firmly.  
  
"Says who?"  
  
"Says me," he looked at the road ahead, then at her.  
  
"Don't you dare change that station," he ordered. His eye twitched, eyeing Sara's hand reach for the tuner. Instead, she slumped in her chair, pouted, and said nothing. She stayed that way for several minutes. As Nick drove, content with his victory, he kept on looking at Sara, her face was priceless. She looked so darn cute when she pouted, or plainly when she looked angry.  
  
'Damn it,' his mind thought. He then reached for the tuner, and changed it back to Norah Jones. Instead of being content, Sara reached over and changed the station.  
  
"What the-" Nick protested. He looked at her face, and proceeded to change the station. She then changed it back.  
  
"Sara. Stop," He asked angrily.  
  
"You're driving me nuts," he answered. Sara stayed silent; she really didn't know what to say.  
  
After a long and tiresome late lunch, Nick and Sara proceeded to drive further east, passing various towns and cities, but mainly the desert. The sun had just set, and both were still not talking. They hadn't spoken since the radio incident earlier. Instead, they drove in silence; nobody touched the dial for the remainder of the day. In fact, both of them actually enjoyed the quiet stillness of their surroundings, for Sara, it gave her time to think about the work she left at home, and for Nick, he dreaded seeing his family again. Knowing that a Stokes Family Reunion would definitely be a great event, his life would then become an open book, and no doubt a question period with his parents.  
  
"Can you pass me that bottle of water," Nick asked politely. Finally breaking the vehicle's silence. Sara picked up the bottle of water that stood beside her foot, and handing harshly to him.  
  
"Thank you," he looked pleasantly at Sara. She half smiled and leaned her head against the window.  
  
"Look, Sara, I'm sorry for yelling at you," he apologized. She didn't say anything. He was disappointed that she didn't respond, aware that he was being unreasonable earlier.  
  
Minutes passed, and the silence was unbearable, Sara wanted to scream. She wasn't mad at Nick, knowing that she was partially at fault for his outburst, now she just felt horrible, having him apologize.  
  
"So, tell me about your family," she asked silently. Nick froze, and looked up, 'oh thank God,' he sighed inside. He paused, just o gather his thoughts.  
  
"Well, it's a long story, so you might want to narrow down the field a little," Nick answered, in a muted tone.  
  
"Okay, give me some stats on your immediate family members," she smiled.  
  
"Uh, I have 5 sisters," he smiled. He saw that Sara had turned her body to face him.  
  
"And an older brother," he continued.  
  
"Wow," she gasped.  
  
"Ah, but I'm not done," he sighed. She was intrigued; her face was filed with amusement and surprise.  
  
"There's more?"  
  
"I have 5 nephews and 4 nieces - so far," he grinned. Sara was impressed,  
  
"Wow," she gasped again.  
  
"You're parents must be ecstatic."  
  
"Definitely, they never miss a performance, a recital, or baseball game," he answered with pride.   
  
"That's great; it's like that with my parents too. I guess it's something that goes with being a grandparent," Sara explained.  
  
Nick was amazed, he realized that he didn't really know anything about Sara; he knew she had a brother, but nothing more.  
  
"Yeah, each one of them are going through a phase right now, Katherine, my niece, well, she doesn't like being called Katherine or Kat, she prefers being called Kate," Nick noted.  
  
"Should I be taking notes?" Sara laughed aloud.  
  
Nick smiled, relieved that they had found a resolution to their argument.  
  
"What else? Oh, and my sisters Angela and Carrie, better watch out, they tend to chat a lot more than my other sisters," Nick laughed.  
  
"My niece Emily, oh she's adorable. She'd love you - she tends to gravitate towards people with brown hair," Nick remarked.  
  
"Don't ask," he continued.  
  
Sara sat in her seat amazed at the level of enthusiasm that Nick radiated when talking about his family. She never realized how little she knew about Nick, but it touched her that he would open up to her like this. The day's argument completely forgotten, she relaxed in his company, 'this trip isn't going to be too bad,' her mind reconsidered. At this point, she couldn't help but smile; she was amused by Nick's ranting.  
  
"What?" Nick questioned, amused that his words were probably boring Sara.  
  
"Nothing, tell me more," she urged. But Nick only smiled.  
  
"Well, you're going to meet them soon, you'll have to find out," he paused.  
  
"Ok, next question. And I promise not to tell Greg or Warrick," Sara assured.  
  
"Are we going to be meeting any of your girlfriends?" Sara asked teasingly. Nick swallowed hard.  
  
"Maybe, but even so, I have you there," he complimented.  
  
"True," Sara blushed. 'Oh God, I hope he doesn't notice that I'm blushing.  
  
Nick could sense the awkwardness of the situation, 'quit flirting with her, you still have a long way to go till Dallas,' his mind warned.  
  
"So, how about you? Tell me about your family," he changed the subject. Sara's head turned, amused at his question, but again, it was only fair for her to answer.  
  
"Well, I have a brother - singular. And I have a niece," Sara said proudly.  
  
"Your parents?"  
  
"Well, they still live in the small town that I grew up in; right by the San Francisco Bay," Sara explained. Nick nodded curious and surprised at the level of comfort that Sara was in; she was actually talking about her life.  
  
"Anybody pining away for you in your hometown?" Nick asked. 'I can't believe you asked that,' his mind screamed, mentally slapping him in the head.  
  
Sara let out a laugh, "No. Unlike you, I hardly dated in high school, or in university. I actually studied."  
  
"Quit being such a stiff neck, you're telling me that in Boston, you didn't do anything wild or crazy," Nick wondered.  
  
"Well, attending Harvard, being in Boston was totally different. I occasionally did some crazy things," she answered mischievously.  
  
"Sara Sidle, you? Do something crazy? And walking around the quad with short shorts doesn't count as crazy," Nick answered.  
  
"Uh uh," she laughed, as a flash back went through her head.  
  
"Junior year. Me and a couple of friends decided to go out and try this new place. It was called rhythm painting, where you get a ton of paint, and you paint a canvas with your body, matching the rhythm of the music," she explained.  
  
Nick raised and eyebrow, his mind shocked, but at the same time, somewhat visualizing Sara covered in paint. He half-grinned.  
  
"Interesting," he mumbled.  
  
"Oh, and I bet you have something better to share," Sara accused. She lightly slapped him on the arm.  
  
"PG compared to my days in college," Nick smirked, rubbing the spot that Sara had previously hit.  
  
"Well, me and my brothers, frat brothers, we wanted to play a prank on this sorority house down the street," Nick began.  
  
"So, one night we snuck into their house, and placed crushed hard candy into the shower head. So when they took a shower, they get sticky, and when they go back to take another-" Nick's voice trailed off.  
  
"-Shower, it'd get worse," Sara finished the sentence. She laughed, 'that's pretty funny,' she said to herself.  
  
"That's horrible," she lied, still laughing.  
  
"I'm lucky that I didn't know you back in college," she taunted.  
  
Both of them receded into laughter, plainly having a great time; both laughed as Nick continued to tell stories about that various frat parties and pranks he and his house had pulled. It was until several minutes later that both subsided into silence, calmness taking over their body, Nick couldn't help but ask another question. He looked over at Sara, who now watched the road ahead,   
  
"So - was clothing optional?" He questioned, smiling. But soon, his facial expression changed, sensing that he had crossed the line.  
  
Sara sat there, not responding. Silent. She stayed that way until they reached a hotel, she assumed that this was where they were going to spend the night. Nick pulled up to the front lobby and jumped out to get the keys. After several moments, Nick walked back to the Tahoe, and handed Sara the keys to her room. She still said nothing, and Nick looked worried. He helped her with her bag, and proceeded to her room first. It wasn't a dirty hotel off the street; in fact, it was modest, with a TV, a neat atmosphere and no funky smell. With that, Nick dropped Sara's bag and proceeded to his own, Sara lead him to the door while he stepped outside, and before he could leave, she smiled.  
  
"It wouldn't be a crazy story if it only involved paint. Now would it," she finally revealed.   
  
Nick was surprised at those words, he slowly turned, but before he could say a word, Sara had already closed the door. And so, he shook his head, a smile creeping into his face, 'that is in fact a crazy story,' he said to himself. He turned to the door and opened it with the key, he stepped in, and it was pretty much like Sara's room. After a long drive, he was itching to take a shower, and maybe later go out to eat. After taking out some necessities, he then walked towards the bathroom, stepping into the shower, water hitting every muscle in his body. Each drop of hot water warming his skin.  
  
She too was eager to take a shower, several hours in a car was definitely not very good. She searched for hangers; she spotted the closet by the door. She opened it, only to find another door, 'adjoining rooms' she sighed, slamming the door closed. She then moved towards another door, and found a hanger, 'good, now I can take a shower,' she yawned.  
  
'Oh that felt good,' his mind cried. Nick wrapped a towel tightly around his waist, it was 10:57 in the evening, and he was too tired - forget going out. Instead, he just changed into some shorts and hopped into bed. He was sure that the rest of the drive home would be interesting; he definitely needed to get some rest.  
  
'I wonder if Nick's gone out to eat,' she wondered. She looked at the clock, 11:05, 'oh forget it, I'm tired,' she muttered. She hopped into bed, wearing a tank top and cotton pajamas. Her head hit the pillow, ready for some long sought after sleep; she closed her eyes and was halfway to dreamland  
  
'THUD'  
  
'What the hell was that?' she asked herself, opening her eyes.  
  
'THUD' 'THUD'  
  
"Oh for Pete's sake-" she screamed, knowing that the next room was probably the honeymoon suite. There was silence,  
  
'THUD' 'THUD' 'THUD' "Oh, James," a woman's voice screamed.  
  
'Damn,' her head pounded.  
  
~*~ 2 1/2 hours later ~*~  
  
Tired, her eyes partially red, she grabbed her pillow and made her way to the door that adjoined her room to Nick's room. She knocked on the door and waited shortly.  
  
The light rapping on the door woke him up, it was 1:29 in the morning, he groaned as he got up from his bed. He stretched and finally fumbled to open the door.  
  
"Sara, do you what time it is?" Nick questioned.   
  
"1:30. I've been staring at the clock all night," she answered.  
  
"Can I sleep with you?"  
  
"Well now, Sara, I never knew," Nick answered.  
  
"Not to burst your bubble Nick, but my neighbors are doing the horizontal mambo a little too loudly,"  
  
"Alright, come in," Nick answered, feeling slightly hurt. But smiling at the same time.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Nick closed the door and headed towards the left side of the bed, while Sara took residence on the other side.  
  
"Goodnight Nick," she whispered.  
  
"Goodnight Sara," he mumbled.  
  
The night got colder, and both bodies occupied their respective halves of the bed, Nick held on to the sheet that covered half his body, while Sara seemed to have won most of the cover; but most of it tangled around her legs. Nick rotated and faced Sara's back, not detecting another body in bed with him. He reached for the other side of the bed, and wrapped his arms around the pillow in front of him. The pillow was soft to the touch, but structurally firm - he didn't know that it was Sara's body. His body felt warmth as he huddled closer, drawn by the heat. He was exhausted.  
  
She felt the warmth around her body, Sara didn't care, she was cold, and at least now, she had a ring of warmth around her. As she felt the heat intensify, she didn't open her eyes, all she did was place her hand gently atop the warmth around her waist, - she didn't realize it was Nick's arm. She smiled, she was exhausted, and she slept.  
  
Daybreak. Both Nick and Sara were still not stirring; they just lied in bed, not knowing what their bodies have transpired to do overnight.   
  
As his eyes fluttered, struggling with the sun that broke through the window, he slowly moved his arm, but only to be halted by the hand that was on top of his. He opened his eyes wider and there was Sara, lying on her side in front of him. He smiled sleepily, she was gorgeous, with her hair draped over the pillow, her soft skin and calm breathing, - he was mesmerized. He was tempted to kiss the back of her neck, inching closer and closer to her,  
  
'KNOCK''KNOCK' "Housekeeping, the woman called out,"  
  
Both jumped out the bed, Sara unaware of their position earlier. Nick walked over to the door and opened it slightly; he asked the woman to return in several minutes, and she cooperated. He turned towards Sara; she was already beside him,  
  
"I'll meet you outside in a minute," she said. He nodded, 'so close,' his mind screamed.   
  
After both had finally jumped into the car, they sped down the highway, and stopped by a diner. Both were still tired from the other night, Sara more so than Nick. She downed 2 cups of coffee, while Nick savored a cup. It was early, and it was absolutely too early to utter any words, they both sat in the diner, eating their breakfast. The waitress was nice, she wore the standard uniform, and spoke with a thick southern accent; in fact, Nick had to explain to Sara some of the words and expressions that the woman had used. The diner was small, modest, much like the one the team always attended in Vegas. The long counter stretched from one end of the diner to the other, while tiny booths lined the other side of the shop. Sara and Nick sat comfortably in the first booth, really just lazy to scour for others. They sat in silence as they ate; Nick had his bacon and eggs while Sara picked through a small order of eggs and toast. Surely enough, after breakfast, both were in better spirits and finally assumed talking.  
  
"So cowboy, where are we?" Sara questioned as she jumped into the jeep.  
  
  
  
"We're just outside of Amarillo. You're in Texas country now, city girl," Nick grinned, his accent increasingly evident.  
  
"And how far do we still have to go?" Sara whined.  
  
"About 7 hours,"  
  
"7 hours?" She questioned, looking up from the map.  
  
"Where exactly are we going?" she questioned, 'it couldn't possibly take this long to drive over 2 states,' shed thought to herself.  
  
"Since it was your first trip to the Texas, we're taking the scenic route," Nick assured.  
  
"Scenic? Nick, I'm tired, my feet hurt and my hair's messed, screw scenic," Sara whined again.  
  
"Yes, scenic. If you're tired - sleep, if your feet hurt - I'd be happy to give you a foot massage later, and your hair - your hair looks fine," Nick answered, he lied about the last part.  
  
"Whatever, I'm taking a nap," she said casually. She placed the map back on the dashboard and grabbed Nick's jacket. She draped it over herself, 'oh, at least it smells good' her head praised.  
  
"Baby," Nick mocked.  
  
"You still owe me a foot massage," Sara jested.  
  
~*~  
  
Finally, after hours of driving, Nick had finally arrived; he was so close to home that the smell of the breeze took him back to his childhood. As he sped down the road, he heard sirens in the background, he quickly glanced at his speedometer, 'I'm barely over the limit' he said to himself.  
  
"Nick, what's going on," Sara's voice questioned. She picked her head up and looked at the man who was approaching the vehicle. She fixed her hair and lowered the Nick's. She wondered what was going on,  
  
"Were you speeding?" she asked frantically.  
  
"No! I have no idea what's going on," Nick said desperately. He was actually nervous, trying to make a mental checklist of the possible things that he could have done, or if he had broken any laws.  
  
The police officer continued to walk towards them. His uniform was pressed, his sunglasses covering his eyes, and his hat firmly plopped atop his head. He meant business.  
  
Sara looked at Nick with stern eyes. Nick looked at Sara then at his rearview mirror, he swallowed hard.  
  
'Welcome home,' he sighed.  
  
TBC  
  
~*~  
  
A/N – Well, I've introduced you to part of the family; I think you should start taking notes – just kidding. Well, I don't know much about the family, so I just made up the names. Next, the shower + candy thing, I don't know if that really works, but a friend recommended it to me to do as a prank. Just a note about the route, it is a little long, only because they are driving via the Interstate routes. I don't really know how long it would take for a direct drive from Las Vegas to Dallas. Besides, it does give Nick and Sara more time together. OK, I know that this chapter was kinda long, but I'll try to keep the next chapters shorter. Anyway, after reading through the ranting of a crazy person, it's your turn to give me some feedback - if you'd like. "Love it, loathe it, review it," - oceanwave 


	4. Meet the Family

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle  
  
A/N - I didn't plan to post this so early, but due to the overwhelming response from the last chapter, I've decided to post it. I'm so glad that everyone is enjoying this story, and very happy with its content. Thank you so much for all the reviews. *hugs and kisses* For this chapter, think CSI meets Meet the Parents. But it's not a crossover, just the feel of it; it's really just about a family gathering and is loosely based on my personal experiences/observations at my family functions. I always think it's funny, so I just wanted to add that in. Anyway, read on!  
  
~*~  
  
"License and registration please," the man ordered.  
  
Without looking up, Nick reached over the glove compartment.  
  
"I don't quite understand what I did wrong," Nick explained earnestly. He looked over at Sara while he handed the man his driver's license. After several moments, he didn't receive a reaction; he looked over to his left,  
  
"Joe?" Nick questioned.  
  
"Hi Mr. Stokes, nice to see you've come home," he answered. Nick simply smiled, taking his driver's license back.  
  
"Noticed the Nevada plates, and I sure bet that it was you," he smiled.  
  
"So, you're the sheriff now?" Nick inquired. The slightly aged man stood proudly, his moustache carefully groomed.  
  
"Sara, this is Joe, he used to handle the ranch," Nick explained to Sara. The man took notice of the woman who sat in the passenger seat,  
  
"Why, I didn't know you were bringing the missus," the officer commented, a smile broadening on his face. Nick smiled.  
  
"We're not married," Nick answered. Sara waved uneasily, a little embarrassed.  
  
"No ring," Sara confirmed, waving her left hand.  
  
"Oh my mistake, I'm terribly sorry," the man responded. Both Nick and Sara smiled.  
  
"I'm Sara," Sara introduced herself.  
  
"Nice to meet you ma'am. Mr. Stokes, you should get going, I hear that everyone's at the ranch right now," the man replied.  
  
"Thanks. I'll be seeing you at the wedding," Nick posed.  
  
"Definitely, Mr. Stokes, for sure."  
  
They drove away, pursuing a path down the solitary street, after several moments. They both finally burst into laughter.  
  
"If this is Texas, I'd love to meet your family," Sara said in between great howls of laughter.  
  
"Speaking of my family," Nick interrupted. Sara looked up,  
  
"Is this where you grew up?" She questioned.  
  
The landscape was green, a neighbor was nowhere in sight. It seemed as if they had driven into the middle of nowhere. Everything was calm, the long grass fields in the distance swayed, while the tall trees beside the house accompanied the wind's dance. A rather large barn was also in the distance, it wasn't old, - it just looked rustic and tastefully aged.  
  
"Yup," Nick answered, amazed at how meticulous the place looked. It was exactly the same as he had left it. The gate was simple, a mailbox on the left corner of the driveway. The driveway was long, and it waved towards the house. The house was a simple brick house, with white painted accents. He took note of the several vehicles that were parked right in front of the garage. Then, he turned, and saw the patio layout, filled with people.  
  
"It's like a scene from Dallas - the show," Sara commented, similarly amazed.  
  
"No, actually, that place is just a couple of miles down," Nick answered, still admiring his surroundings.  
  
He stopped the Tahoe, and paused momentarily. He looked at Sara,  
  
"Ready?" He asked. Sara smiled, nodded and exhaled loudly. Both of them climbed out of the jeep; the wind blew, and strands of hair from Sara's loose ponytail rested on the sunglasses on her face. Her cream linen pants flapped in against the wind as well, her black halter-top securely fastened around her neck. She checked her feet, just to make sure that she was wearing the right pair of brown colored suede sandals. She looked over at Nick, before taking another step, she grinned.  
  
Nick looked at Sara, matching the smile that she put on.  
  
"A little warm isn't it?" he asked.   
  
Before closing the door, he took off the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing, revealing a tight navy blue shirt that showed off his chiseled body. For his lower body, he wore dark tinted jeans and matched it with a pair of leather sandals.   
  
"Nick!" A woman's voice called out, Sara turned her head, and a woman, around her 60s was approaching, along with a cavalry of people.  
  
"Mom," Nick greeted in return. He rushed towards his mother, and gave her a big hug. She also could not withhold a couple of pecks on the cheek. Several moments later, a flow of people also exchanged pleasantries with Nick. Sara stood back, knowing that this was in fact, a family affair. She admired the closeness and, even the size of the family. She smiled, happy that Nick was smiling and happy. Suddenly, she felt a tugging at her pants; she looked down,  
  
"Hi," the voice called out, looking up at Sara.  
  
"Hi," Sara greeted with a toothy smile.  
  
"My name's Emily," she continued.  
  
"I'm Sara," Sara explained, lowering herself to Emily's height.  
  
"I like your pants. They're soft," Emily giggled, as she played with the fabric.  
  
"Thank you, I like your dress," Sara commented. The girl wore a small red dress, it had a two-tone Hawaiian print on it, and she was just adorable.  
  
Nick looked up from the chaos and noticed that Sara was talking to one of his nieces, he smiled. 'Emily,' he thought. So, slowly, under everyone's watchful eye, he walked up to Sara.  
  
"I see you've meet Emily," he greeted.  
  
"Emily Jean, don't you owe me a hug," he asked, bending down to pick up his niece.  
  
"Uncle Nicky," she squealed; her blonde ringlets bouncing as Nick picked her up. Sara, also intrigued at the uncle- niece bonding, stood up.  
  
"Come on, let's go," Nick motioned forward. He placed his free hand on the small of Sara's back. Sara felt all tingly, 'Sidle, what's wrong with you?' Her mind questioned.  
  
With Emily in hand, Nick walked alongside Sara and walked towards the crowd that was the Stokes family,  
  
"See? Didn't I tell you?" Michelle nudged her sister. Carrie, the woman a year older than Michelle nodded, as did their mother. They observed Sara, Nick with Emily in tow move towards them, Carrie and Michelle smiled.  
  
"Sara!" Nick's mother exclaimed with excitement. She walked briskly towards Sara, her casual pants and crisp shirt flapping against the wind. Once she reached Sara, she gave her a long hug, feeling the warmth of the person her son had brought home. Sara was taken aback by the hug, and warmly exchanged it,  
  
"Hello Mrs. Stokes," she greeted as she fought for air.  
  
"Oh sorry dear," Nick's mother apologized.  
  
"Oh Evelyn, let the poor girl breathe," an accented voiced boomed from behind.  
  
"You have to give everyone a chance to hug her," he continued, opening his arms for another hug.  
  
"Sara, these are my parents, Evelyn and Robert Stokes," Nick interrupted.  
  
"Hello," Sara smiled genuinely.  
  
'She's different' Robert commented to himself.  
  
"So, you're Sara," a woman approached. Like Nick, she also had dark brown hair and deep chocolate colored eyes.  
  
"I'm Carrie; this is my husband, Ben. And you've already met our daughter Emily," she introduced, looking over at Emily, who was still sitting in Nick's arms, her arms tightly gripping Nick's tanned neck.  
  
"Nice to meet you," Sara grinned.  
  
"Hi Sara, I'm glad you could make it, everyone's dying to meet you. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone," Michelle greeted.  
  
"I hope I live up to the hype," Sara joked. Michelle smiled, and looked over at Nick, he too smirked.   
  
They all made their way towards the backyard barbecue. Sara was flanked by Nick's mother and Michelle. Finally, they made it down to the tables that were set up, everyone else was there,  
  
"I don't know how much my brother told you about us, but I'll introduce you anyway," Michelle assured.  
  
"Everyone, this is Sara. She works with Nick," Michelle winked. Sara was surprised at Michelle's' gesture, but laughed it off.  
  
"I'm not sure about what Nick's told you about me, but they're all lies. Whatever he says, I swear, we didn't meet at some musty old bar," Sara joked.  
  
"He over-exaggerated, we actually met by the coffee machine," she added.  
  
The humor was well received, seeing as everyone had a good laugh.  
  
"Well dear, it seems like you're at home. I'll leave you to socialize, I have some things to do," Nick's mother patted Sara on the arm.  
  
"Oh, go ahead. Thank you," Sara assured. Nick leaned in, breathing words into Sara's ear.  
  
"How about I personally introduce you to everyone," he asked. Sara didn't say a word, she knew that she wasn't going to know everybody's name by the end of the day; she smiled nervously. Nick then proceeded to take Sara by the arm and guided her around the yard. Finally, they reached a young girl, who leaned against the tree and was shaded from the sun. Unlike the rest of her family, her hair was a dirty blonde hue, while her eyes a piercing blue. Sara walked away from Nick, who at this point was exchanging jokes with and uncle, or someone.  
  
"You must be Kate," Sara asked, she extended her hand. The girl was silent,  
  
"Nick told me that you preferred to be called Kate," Sara explained. The girl scoffed. 'OK, bad move,' her mind observed.  
  
"Kate," Nick said. The teenage girl rolled her eyes and walked past Nick.  
  
"Just a phase," Nick explained. Sara slowly nodded, somewhat confused.  
  
"I'd like you to meet someone," Nick requested, gently tugging on Sara's arm.  
  
"Sure," She agreed. Both of them walked across the yard, and Sara spotted a woman on a comfortable rocking chair.  
  
"Nick?" an elderly woman called out.  
  
"Hi grams, it's me," Nick answered. He led Sara in front of his grandmother.  
  
"Grams, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine,"  
  
"Grams this is Sara. Sara this is my grandmother, the matriarch of the Stokes family," Nick introduced.  
  
"How do you do," Sara questioned and smiled.  
  
"Friend?"  
  
"Nick, come here," she reached over, and just as Nick came into eye level with the woman, she latched her fingers onto his ear, causing pain on behalf of Nick.  
  
"Are you telling me, that you work with her and you're still not hitched?" She growled.  
  
Nick nodded in agreement, wincing at her words.  
  
"What is the matter with you," she finally let her grandson's ear free. Nick took a step back and massaged his ear. Sara giggled; it was amusing that a grown man, like Nick, would still be so vulnerable when it came to his grandmother.   
  
"And you? What are you waiting for? This is prime Texas property right here," he motioned to Nick. Sara was caught off guard by the woman's straightforward comment.  
  
"I-" Sara started. She looked up on the entertained expression on Nick's face, he was silently laughing.  
  
"Nick Stokes, you better not be snickering behind me," Nick's grandmother warned.  
  
"I-" Sara started again.  
  
"Oh, child, you are rail thin," the woman commented.  
  
"You young kids, thinking you got all the time in the world," she scoffed.  
  
"Now, go, get something to eat. We have plenty of time to talk," she said, shooing them away towards the grill.  
  
Nick and Sara didn't hesitate to leave; they were both elated by the old woman's comments, but somewhat pondering on them as well.  
  
"I didn't even say anything," Sara explained.  
  
"In this house, you rarely ever get a word in," Nick explained, he then gently took Sara's arm and motioned her towards the picnic table.  
  
TBC  
  
~*~  
  
A/N - Thank you for the feedback, it's been awesome. I'm currently working on the wedding, which is taking me a lot of time to finish - but I"ll through it, and I'll post as soon as I can. Please continue to read and review, even if you don't like it. Thanks. :D 


	5. Family Affairs

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle  
  
A/N – Bring on sappy romance! OK, this chapter is really long, in my opinion, but here it is. Tell me what you think; and by the way, thank you so much for all the reviews, I absolutely love the words of encouragement. Anyway, I'll stop rambling; you have a lot of reading to do – read away! :D  
  
~*~  
  
The night had finally rolled around, but was still young, and everyone was assembled in the living room, Sara sat on the couch, surrounded by Carrie on the right, and a sleeping Emily partially on her left. Nick sat at the edge of the couch, with Emily's head leaning on his lap, her feet placed on Sara's lap.  
  
"I think sleeping beauty over here, needs to get to bed," Nick motioned. Ben agreed, he stood up, scooped his daughter up in his arms, and walked towards the stairs, while Carrie proceeded to stand up.  
  
"Where are you two sleeping tonight," she asked curiously. Sara looked at Nick; he wore a confused expression on his face.  
  
"Well, we only have one room left. We have a big family - as you can see," Evelyn responded, she just walked into the room.  
  
"Oh, well then, I could always get a hotel room," Sara suggested. But everyone in the room simply burst out laughing.  
  
"Sara, the closest hotel is one hour away," Robert answered.  
  
"Oh," Sara simply said, dryly. She glared at Nick; she didn't know what was going to happen. He too wore a face of confusion. He was sure that they had another extra room.  
  
"You and Nick could always share a room," Michelle suggested.   
  
Nick paused, 'something's going on' he thought, as he looked around the room, finding the guilty faces of those around him. "Oh, Sara can take the last room. I can sleep on the couch," Nick desperately answered, solving the problem.  
  
"Well, I don't want to impose, I can take the couch and Nick can get the room," Sara offered desperately.  
  
'Shoot,' Michelle thought to herself.  
  
"That's ridiculous," Evelyn considered. "You're both adults, you can share a room. Besides I won't have my son and a special guest feel uncomfortable in this home," she continued. There was a pause; people just looked at each other. Sara was now observing the conversation, being careful not to interrupt.  
  
'Shoot,' Nick thought  
  
'Thank you mom,' Michelle sighed. She was relieved that her mother had saved the situation.  
  
"Well then, it's decided. Nick, go get your stuff from the truck. Sara come with me, I'll show you your room," Evelyn said, taking Sara towards the stairs. 'Don't ever try to pull something over me,' Evelyn thought, she looked cleverly at Nick, who was now desperate to change the situation. The gaze from his mother made him powerless; and he eventually proceeded out the door.  
  
"I don't mean to intrude, but I think it would be best for me to find a hotel room, I can always drive out here in the morning," Sara tried to resolve.  
  
"Tut, tut. Up the stairs," Evelyn motioned.  
  
'Shoot' Sara's head protested.  
  
~*~  
  
"Thanks mom," Nick said, walking in the room with the last piece o f luggage.  
  
"You two behave," she winked. Sara and Nick blushed, as Nick walked behind the door, and gently closed it shut.  
  
"Is it just me or is your family acting really weird?" Sara asked.  
  
"A little," Nick smiled; he was now in the bathroom.  
  
"Do you know something I don't?" Sara asked, she walked over towards the bathroom and leaned on the counter. Nick just smiled.  
  
It took several moments for the both of them to settle themselves into the room; it was in fact a challenge to maneuver around the sea of luggage they had brought. Although this was going to be a short, trip, both still brought practically two of everything - just in case.  
  
"Come on out with it, that smirk isn't working to your favor," Sara ordered. She was now sitting on the soft, bed. Nick, was just getting ready for a night out with the men, and was currently putting on some cologne.   
  
"Nothing. They're just not used to having my 'friends' over," he answered half-serious, ready to out in another smile. He knew what his family was doing; they were trying to set him up with Sara.   
  
'You are one freaky guy,' Sara shivered.  
  
"Okay, fine. Have a nice night Nick," she said, reaching over for a book she had taken with her.  
  
"Goodnight, oh and don't be surprised if I hop into bed with you," he jested.  
  
"I wouldn't mind," Sara smiled, her eyes shifted towards the door, where Nick was standing. 'Oh, what? Yes, blatantly throw that comment around,' her mind retorted. Nick smiled and closed the door; as the best man, he was responsible for giving his soon to be brother-in-law a good time, a last whirl at being single.  
  
~*~  
  
It was late, very late, and Sara just woke up. She shifted her body and spotted Nick, sleeping soundly beside her. He looked exhausted, 'party animal, eh?' she thought to herself. She didn't feel him arrive, and since it was around 3:00 in the morning, she really didn't care, so long as he didn't smell like alcohol. Slowly, careful not to wake him, she made her way towards the kitchen, guided only by the faint light from the aquarium in the foyer.   
  
She stood in front of the sink, and she heard someone stirring behind her, slowly, she turned around.  
  
"Hungry dear," Evelyn asked.  
  
"Oh no, thank you. I'm just down for a drink of water," Sara answered. "Dinner was wonderful."  
  
"I'm surprised you even ate anything. You barely touched your food, or tried my husband's special baby back ribs," she managed to smile.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you," Sara started, "it's just that, well, I don't eat meat," she winced.  
  
"Oh," Evelyn smiled, unsure as to how to respond. Sara simply smiled, and lightly bit her lip. "I didn't know, I could have prepared something else for you," she offered.  
  
"Oh, no, dinner was great, and the fish was wonderful," Sara complimented.  
  
"Are you sure you're not hungry? I can make you something, real quick," Evelyn offered.  
  
"No, really I'm alright, thank you. Nick's snoring - I think it was snoring – just bothered me a little," Sara snorted.  
  
"Oh, does he still do that little snore; sort of like a whining bullhorn?" Evelyn asked.  
  
"Yeah, sort of," Sara agreed. Evelyn lifted her head as she laughed. Sara smiled, she actually thought it was cute, it wasn't annoying, she just wasn't used to sharing a room with someone.  
  
"He used to do that when he was younger," Evelyn explained. "Say, wanna take a look at some pictures, I'm sure you can get some great stories to tell your friends at work," she offered and winked. Sara's smile was intriguing, 'this could get interesting,' her mind observed. "Come, I'll show you some pictures," Evelyn urged, she waved Sara to follow.  
  
Both women made their way towards the study, where the room was filled with various family pictures, a timeline of the Stokes family. Evelyn had managed to pull out random photo albums, and had shown Sara several pictures of Nick as a child, riding a horse, his first steps, his first football game and some school pictures. "Oh, and then there's this one," she pointed out.  
  
"Where was this?" Sara inquired. Both women had curled up on separate armchairs; the feel of the fabric was soft and warm. The large lamp that sat beside the armchairs nicely illuminated the room. The pictured scene was warm, serene, capturing the warm memories that were reflected by the archive of photos around the room.  
  
"That was at Nick's 6th birthday party," Evelyn replied. "That's Joanne Anderson, Nick's first crush," she giggled. She pointed out a redheaded girl standing beside Nick. "Everyday, they'd come over and play, and he'd tease her relentlessly, pulled her hair chased her with slimy bugs, all kids play. I never understood why, until his 6th birthday, he walked into the room, beet red."  
  
"Why?" Sara was astonished.  
  
"It turned out that Nick, having a crush on the girl, tried to kiss her, and being a southern belle, she gave him a nice slap instead," Evelyn laughed.  
  
"Ouch," Sara winced.  
  
"He was hurt," Evelyn concluded.  
  
"Well, that surely didn't deter him from dating," Sara smiled. 'He's still a womanizing, party boy,' Sara thought.  
  
"You know Sara, Nick's not like that," Evelyn explained, she closed the book and looked up at Sara. Sara's eyes also looked up; she didn't utter a word, waiting for an explanation.  
  
"I'm sorry?" Sara asked.  
  
"Sure he's wild, don't remind me how many times his father and brother have picked him up from parties, but he can love. He just hasn't found 'her' yet," Evelyn continued, looking directly at Sara. She reached her warm hand towards Sara's hand and held shortly. Sara smiled and could only find simple words.  
  
"Nick's a good person. You've raised him well."  
  
"And he deserves someone just as good," she responded, tightening her grip on Sara's hand. Sara looked at the woman in front of her, 'you don't really think that Nick and I are meant to be together?' she questioned to herself. There was a silence, and both women didn't speak, dwelling only on their own thoughts, and the silence of the night.  
  
"Well, we better go off to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Evelyn said. She withdrew her hand away from Sara's and proceeded to put away some albums. "Try to squeeze in some extra sleep; I'm sure that the girls are probably going to want to take you around town tomorrow. Plus, can't forget about the rehearsal dinner," Evelyn reminded, walking out of the room.  
  
"I won't. Goodnight Mrs. Stokes," Sara bade.  
  
"Goodnight Sara," Evelyn replied.  
  
After washing the used glass, Sara proceeded upstairs to her room. She made her way across the dark house, up the stairs, through the long hallway, and finally to her room. Inside, she found Nick, still asleep on the bed looking relaxed as he struggled to keep warm. Although she knew he'd be more comfortable in his pajamas, she also knew that waking him up now would cause a scene. Instead, she proceeded to cover him with the bed cover and an extra blanket; and then went off to sleep herself.  
  
~*~  
  
It was early, and Nick heard slight movement downstairs, his head throbbed, 'coffee' his mind craved.  
  
Slowly, he looked over at the clock on the bedside table, 7:20. Then, he looked squarely at Sara, her face was relaxed, her breathing placid with her head buried in the pillow beside him. With much hesitation, he got up from his bed and headed for the bathroom 'oh, my neck kills,' he moaned - stretching in the bathroom. Next, he crept down the stairs and moved towards the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning mom," he greeted, giving his mother a peck on the cheek. "What are you making?" he asked, as he opened the fridge in search of some food.  
  
"Something for Sara," she answered, calmly flipping through the recipe book in front of her. "I've always wanted to make something different," she continued. Nick just stood by the counter, watching his mother scan the pages. "She's a vegetarian you know," she then explained, taking a moment to look up from the book and at her son.  
  
"I know," Nick agreed. "She'll be fine, you should stop fussing over her. She hates it when people fuss over her," Nick affirmed.  
  
"I'm not fussing, besides a girl like her; she deserves to be fussed over. She's such a nice girl," she continued. Evelyn studied her son closely, trying to read his thoughts, hoping that looking at him would reveal some truth about her suspicions.  
  
"I know," Nick simply agreed. "What?" he smiled.  
  
"Nothing. Do you like her?" she asked perplexedly.  
  
"What? No, Sara? No," he scoffed. He continued to take a sip of coffee.  
  
"You don't need to tell me, a mother can tell, just by looking," she muttered.  
  
"Wha-? What look?" Nick blushed, and attempted to look innocent.  
  
"That goofy one you have on your face," she confirmed.  
  
"No. Sara and I are just friends, who work together. I wish everyone would stop with this," Nick defended. "It's complicated," he added. He then turned to walk towards the stairs.  
  
"She likes you too you know," his mother interrupted.  
  
"Rea-. I mean what?" Nick questioned, he stopped in his tracks, surprised at her comment.  
  
"Look, a girl doesn't simply drive 22 hours to meet a family she's never known, or attend a wedding where she doesn't know anybody," she explained. "And you certainly wouldn't have agreed to take her with you, if you didn't want us to meet her," she smiled.  
  
'She's got you there Nick,' his mind wisecracked. He only smiled, knowing that that this was going to be an uphill battle. "I'll be back for breakfast," he answered.  
  
~*~  
  
There was a light tugging against the bed sheets, and Sara couldn't help but open her eyes, by the bed she saw a little brown haired girl, it was Emily. She was dressed in a Winnie the Pooh pajama, toting around Winnie the Pooh bear.  
  
"Hi Emily," she greeted. "Wanna hop in?" Sara offered. The girl nodded, and sure enough, she jumped onto the bed, making it shake momentarily. Sara was jolted, but she smiled and let Emily snuggle against the covers. It was moments later when Sara fell asleep again; the long trip had really taken a toll on her. The room was silent, except for Emily's shifting, trying to find a comfortable position. At this time, Nick walked into the room; he spotted his niece and quickly approached the bed.  
  
"Hi honey, you're up a little early," he whispered. "Are you here to wake Sara up?" he asked. The girl nodded. Nick, in turn slowly crept into the bed. "Well, I think that Sara needs a little more sleep. Why don't we go downstairs, and we can play with Pooh," he asked, wrapping his arms around the girl's tiny frame. She looked at him, with a slight pout and classic puppy dog eyes.  
  
'Aww' his mind cooed. "You really want to stay here?"  
  
Emily nodded, still keeping the pout,   
  
"Promise to be very, very quiet?" he said, finally making the girl smile.   
  
"I think you should let her stay," Sara acknowledged.  
  
"Oh, Emily, look what you did," Nick accused.  
  
"It wasn't me," Emily finally defended.  
  
"Wanna gang up on him," she questioned, with mischief in her eyes. Nick sensed that something was about to happen.  
  
"Uh oh," he whispered, quickly lifting his body and getting ready to leave the bed. Soon, Emily had taken the first hit, Nick laughed – she had found his ticklish spot. "Traitor, I thought we were in this together," Nick asked the girl. She shook her head mischievously.  
  
"Oh, Sara, you're being a bad influence on my niece," he gasped.  
  
"You're the one who woke me up," Sara asserted.  
  
"Uh uh, she did," Nick pointed towards the little girl in between them. Emily's eyes shifted from side to side, sensing that the two people beside her were plotting.  
  
"Get her," Nick cried. Both Sara and Nick soon attacked her with their fingers, tickling her endlessly.  
  
"Stop, hehe, that tickles," she called out.  
  
"Never," Nick said.  
  
"I give up, uncle Nicky, I give up," the girl giggled.  
  
"You do?" Sara asked.  
  
"Yes!" the girl finally giggled.  
  
"Okay," Nick stopped, giving the girl room to breathe. The girl, aware that this was the ideal time to escape, jumped out of the bed and rushed down the stairs.  
  
"Hey, sleep ok?" Nick asked. He rested his head on the pillow opposite her face.  
  
"Yeah. Have a good tickle fight?" She returned, closing her left eye as she felt the sun's rays cut through the shades.  
  
"Definitely," he answered. "Come on, I bet you're hungry, and my mom has been slaving over breakfast."  
  
"Arg, do I have to?" she whined.  
  
"Come on," Nick said, as he offered her a hand. Sara took his hand, and grudgingly rose from the bed.  
  
~*~  
  
Their breakfast was glorious, Nick's mother had indeed slaved over the meal, and Sara savored the coffee. Once more, everyone was assembled around the kitchen, each taking their own potion of food. The sun was rising fast, and everyone was now preparing themselves for the day ahead. It was planned to have all the women go a spa in the city, and to have the men play a round of golf, and meet up for the rehearsal dinner in the evening. At last, once everyone had agreed, they all traveled to their respective rooms, all thinking of what they aimed to do that day. Everyone had left, except for Angela, Nick's eldest sister, Carrie and Michelle.  
  
"So, do we have a plan?" Michelle asked. Julie, the most silent Stokes sister nodded in agreement.   
  
"Excellent," Angela agreed.  
  
"Yup," Carrie agreed, she smiled mischievously, it was going to be a great day.  
  
~*~  
  
A Day at the Spa  
  
"Oh, that looks great," Sara praised. She was sitting in a chair, getting a manicure. Her day had been very relaxing, she enjoyed being in total bliss, with nothing to think about. Beside her sat Kate, who was still as low toned as the other day; she was trying to figure out some calculus equations as she sat in the chair for a pedicure. She was frustrated by the questions, trying repeatedly to solve some problems,  
  
"You're equation needs to be simplified," Sara suggested. Kate didn't look up, but soon saw what Sara was referring to.  
  
"Thanks," she finally spoke. Sara smiled, because she loved math problems.  
  
"What is that? Calculus," Sara wondered. Kate nodded, "want some help?" Sara offered, staring at the girl's blue eyes. She shook her head, and sunk her head down; she was embarrassed and especially did not know how to react. "Well, if you need to ask me something, just ask," Sara continued. Kate continued to stay silent, never looking up again, wanting to be along and certainly not enjoying this atmosphere.   
  
~*~  
  
Golf  
  
The perfectly manicured green was gorgeous; Stokes men littered the course, or at least the ones who married into the family. This morning, they all opted to play the game less competitively since they all were still suffering from harsh hangovers from last night's bachelor party.   
  
"Oh, that's not good," Tim, Nick's brother called out. They weren't successful with their game today, in fact, doing so bad, that Nick was currently in the lead.   
  
"Watch and learn gentlemen," Nick cautioned. With the ball on the ground, he positioned himself beside it, iron club in hand. He looked into the distance, adjusted his cap, and finally took a swing. He watched as it traveled in the distance; sure enough, it made it on sacred ground, just a couple of feet from the hole.  
  
"Nick, you've been practicing in Vegas?" Tim laughed.  
  
"No, I think it's more like the woman from Vegas," Ben, Carrie's husband teased.  
  
"Sara's a friend," Nick assured, putting away the club he used.  
  
"A friend? Or a 'friend'?" Tim questioned. Nick looked at him, a half grin projecting. He knew another question was looming; but before anybody could say a word, he waved them silent. He just smiled as they played through the course, he wondered why everyone had thought that there was something between him and Sara, 'that's crazy' his mind whirled. 'But you and her do get along pretty well, plus, she's funny - sometimes, pretty, brains like you would not believe, independent," Nick noted. 'She's perfect for you,' his mind rated. At this point, Nick stopped walking; caught up in the moment, trying to convince himself out of his own conclusion.  
  
"Hey, the ladies just called, we're spending the afternoon at home," Jason, Michelle's fiancé noted.  
  
"Huh?" Nick questioned, returning to reality.  
  
"Get in the car," Tim jested, he was smiling. It appeared to him that Nick was somewhat in a different place at this moment, he was silent since the mention of Sara earlier, and he was definitely going to find the underlying cause of this.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sara?" Kate asked. The girl was leaning against the door when Sara looked up.   
  
"Hi, what's up?" Sara questioned.  
  
"Nothing. Can you look over this for me, I'm not sure if I'm doing it right," Kate answered. Her body then moved into the room, and sat at the edge of the bed beside Sara. She handed Sara a notebook and sat silently while Sara looked over the solutions in the book.  
  
"Ah, close, but you forgot to put this number here. This would give you a simpler equation, and then you simply take the-" Sara said, she paused and looked at Kate, who seemed to be in a trance.   
  
"-and then you walk around in a neon polyester jumpsuit," Sara continued. Kate didn't react, she still gazed deeply into the distance. "Kate?" Sara called, snapping her fingers in front of the girl's face.  
  
"Huh, yeah," Kate agreed. Sara smiled, she flipped the book shut and then gazed at the cover, and it had doodling. KS + RN.  
  
"You wanna talk about something?" Sara asked, indicating at the doodle on the book's cover. Kate looked at Sara, and her cheeks were on fire, she didn't know what to say. Sara's eyes said everything, and urged Kate to explain. Kate suddenly ran cold again, afraid maybe. "How about we take a walk," she offered. Kate nodded, getting up from her seat and headed straight towards the door. They walked far along the property, taking in the lush ranch, and greenery. Both women just walked, clearing their minds; and once a safe distance away from the house, Kate finally spoke.  
  
"Well, there's this boy," Kate began.   
  
Sara braced herself 'it's always about a boy,' she sighed. She wasn't sure how to handle this situation, but she can do it, she was once a teenager herself. Sara smiled, outpouring encouragement.   
  
"I've known him for a very long time, and well, I really like him" Kate admitted, rather embarrassed at the same time.  
  
"Why don't you tell him," Sara asked. 'Why don't you tell him?' her mind questioned, referring to a different person.  
  
"Please, look at me," she dismissed.  
  
"Look, you're a good looking girl, with a brain, and confidence that any teenager would go for," Sara encouraged. "And if he doesn't see that, then tough, he just can't appreciate great women," Sara added.   
  
'Good Sara,' Sara's mind boasted, 'good job.'  
  
Kate smiled politely, 'at least she's got spunk," she thought. "Any other advise?"  
  
"Why don't you ask him to hang out," Sara offered. Kate was mortified. "Don't be scared, guys actually like it when girls make the first move," Sara explained confidently.  
  
"Really?" Kate wondered.  
  
"Yeah. Time's are changing, we women don't have to wait for guys anymore," Sara continued. Kate smiled, seemingly content with the answer. "Okay?" Sara assured,   
  
Kate simply nodded, as they now made their way towards the house.  
  
"So, are you and Nick-" Kate started.  
  
"No, there's nothing going on between us," Sara interrupted, knowing where the question was going to lead.  
  
"Happy with work? As in do you work well together?" Kate continued, with a slight glimmer in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, right. Yeah, for sure, we're a team," Sara laughed nervously. The color of her cheeks a bright pink. 'Way to go Sara' her mind interrupted.  
  
'Gotcha!' Kate smiled.  
  
'Nice move,' Sara thought. with the slightest glint of sarcasm. Just as the moment between two women went awkward, they heard grunts and cheering from the house. As it turns out, after returning from the golf game, their competitive nature brought them to play a game of football. They were now settling a bet; all of them were dressed for the occasion as well, wearing sweatpants or shorts paired with a t-shirt or muscle shirt. It was a site to behold and both women observed from a distance. Aside from the guys who Sara met the other day, namely Nick's family, there were also other men, friends probably. While the rest of the Stokes' clan lounged by the patio and taking in the childish game. It had probably been going on for a little while now, and was now in its late stages.  
  
"Kate! Sara!" Nick called out. He approached both women and asked them if they were interested in playing.  
  
"Sorry," Kate apologized, motioning to her new manicure. She left, and walked towards the patio, Sara, began walking as well.  
  
"Ditto," Sara agreed.  
  
"Come on Sara, one play, all the glory," Nick said. His sweaty body moving closer to her. He was wearing a jersey and sweatpants, sweat making them cling to his body. He was just a foot away from Sara, and she felt all tingly.  
  
"No," she insisted once more.  
  
"Sidle, what happened to anything you can do I can do better?" Nick questioned.  
  
"That's right anything you can do, I can definitely do better, but I just got my nails done and chipping them would be a waste," she excused.  
  
"Prove it," Nick challenged, moving closer to her. She stared at him, she wasn't one to back out of challenges, this certainly wasn't going to be the first time.  
  
"What's on the line?" She questioned.  
  
"Bragging rights," Nick assured.  
  
"Wuss," Sara continued.   
  
All those around them looked at the fire that was brewing between the couple. 'This is getting good,' was basically the line that was running through everyone's mind.  
  
"Name the terms," Nick asked, confident that he could win this.  
  
"Bragging rights, and the team that looses has to cook breakfast for the family."   
  
Nick wasn't hesitant, "deal," he smiled. He ran towards the team, who had been listening intently and got into a quick huddle. Sara took her place on the other team and positioned herself for the play. She was playing on Jason's team, at this time; the final play was on Nick's side,   
  
On the team, it was Sara's position to 'run like a bat out of hell' and block the QB.  
  
"Stokes, you're going down," Sara warned, as she got ready to run down the field. The moments that followed were drawn, everyone on their own agenda, plotting where to go, what to do.  
  
Finally, the ball was released, and with great speed, Nick headed towards where the pass was going – Sara in hot pursuit. As it descended from the sky, the throw was short, and Sara paused to jump and steal it away from Nick – who had run too far ahead. Quickly, she turned, ran and maneuvered herself towards the end zone, the only one in front of her was Nick. She approached him with great speed, and just as it appeared she was going to run left, she shifted her body and avoided being caught in Nick's clutches – she faked him out. Not to be despaired, Nick turned and followed Sara, she was now just several feet away from a touchdown and Nick was determined not to be outdone, he wasn't going to give up that easily.   
  
The family watched, all witnessing the battle that had taking place on their yard, Sara and Nick battling it out in the end zone, while the others rushed to their team's aid. They were all rooting for Sara and Nick – for something to happen.  
  
As instincts took over, Sara realized that Nick was very close, eyeing the field line, she decided to leap and slide towards the end zone. Similarly, Nick realized that to stop Sara, he had to make a drastic move; and just as her body moved closer to the ground for a slide, he leaped and managed to grab a hold of her leg. But it was too late, the ball she held was in the end zone – it was a touchdown.  
  
With ease and carefulness, Nick straddled Sara's lower back, gently pinning her to the ground.  
  
'This just got interesting' Carrie thought, sitting in the sidelines.   
  
Sara's with face still on the ground, unable to stay on her stomach any longer, she turned, breathless, and faced Nick.  
  
"Where'd you learn to do that," Nick questioned, he was on top of her, breathing heavily. Sara smiled, trying to catch her breath. "Brains, beauty and brawn," Nick commented. He looked into her eyes, and found something more, he couldn't explain it, but he was just taken with her, he was just in chaos. After an awkward silence, 'say something you idiot' his mind yelped. "Marry me," he joked, a wide smile on his face.  
  
"We'll see how well you cook," she teased, content with her victory.   
  
~*~  
  
A/N – Alright, you've survived the long chapter, I hope you're not too tired to review. I really want some feedback! And the more you tell me what you like and don't like, the better I can write. Anyway, stay tuned, I'll be done the wedding chapter soon. "Love it, loathe it, review it," – thanks. 


	6. The Wedding

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle  
  
A/N - I just love the reviews, and I am so happy that everyone is enjoying the story. Well, this is the wedding, and I hope that it lives up to the hype...so to speak. Can't wait to hear what you think, so just remember that whether or not you liked this chapter, please review.  
  
~*~  
  
The football game took a lot from both of them; Sara sat on the bed, waiting for Nick to finish with his shower. Her neck killed, not to mention the stiffness of her back. She was just exhausted, and all she wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep. And as tempting as that sounded, she couldn't stay in, tonight was Michelle and Jason's rehearsal dinner; they were all going into town for a get together with friends and family. Lounging in her grass-stained and jeans pullover sweater, she focused on staying awake.  
  
"Sara," Nick called. Her eyes now opened, and she looked up at the man before her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm up," she assured, her eyes still barely focused. With great dreading, she dragged herself up, and made her way towards the bathroom. As she proceeded to take off her watch, she looked up at Nick,  
  
"Nice shirt," she stated sarcastically, 'oh, that's hideous on you, it does nothing for your body,' she commented. 'Yes, his body,' her mind probed.  
  
"What's wrong with it," Nick asked, concerned. He sensed that there was something wrong with his attire, judging simply from the petrified look on Sara's face.  
  
The shirt was worthy for a pirate to wear, there were laces at the front of the shirt, and it hanged loosely over Nick's body.  
  
"Nothing, Ahab," Sara commented.  
  
"Don't be so vain Sara," Nick brushed off.  
  
"Hey, it just doesn't do anything for your body," Sara explained, her hands creating gestures in front of her.  
  
"My body," Nick wondered.  
  
'Uh oh,' her mind stated. She slowly nodded. She stood there, thinking of the words that exited her mouth. Then, she froze.  
  
"Then, help me pick out a shirt," Nick asked, proceeding towards his suitcase, and taking off the shirt on his back.  
  
'Wow,' was the word that Sara's mind could muster. She tilted her head to the side, just to steal a look at his abs, although the sight of his back was great, she couldn't resist the urge to peek. Her knees went weak, 'he's built ,' her mind sighed, upon observing his amply toned abs and well, his body in general. She felt hot, the heat in the room increasing as she investigated his body.  
  
"Sara," Nick called, turning around, another shirt in hand. His aforementioned solid body now in facing Sara.  
  
"I have to take a shower," Sara replied abruptly. Rushing into the bathroom, and testing the cold water from the showerhead. She needed this, her eyes and body were paralyzed – the heat just a little too intense.  
  
He lifted an eyebrow, 'did I do that,' Nick asked himself. Surprised and glad at how Sara reacted to his presence. Since Sara's departure, he contemplated on which shirt to wear, knowing that his first was a complete bust. He took a quick glance at several shirts, 'blue or white,' he weighed in his mind.  
  
Minutes passed, and Nick sat on the couch, waiting for Sara to reveal herself. And after much deliberation, he decided, and was now wearing a thin navy blue crewneck sweater over a crisp white shirt and khaki chinos. He glanced at his watch again, he didn't want to be late, tonight, he was going to see some of his old high school friends and was fairly excited, but dreading it at the same time.  
  
"I like," Sara commented slapping his shoulder. On her, she wore a simple white trouser and a sheer cocoa colored tunic, revealing a little skin on the base of her neck.  
  
"I like," Nick responded, taking in her aura and noticing the inviting smooth skin on her neck. Sara blushed under his examine, she felt warm again.  
  
"We better go," she interrupted. Nick looked up at her, finished with his gazing.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed. 'Damn,' he thought, returning to Sara as he followed her towards the jeep.  
  
~*~  
  
Amazingly, both of them managed to sneak into the rehearsal. Both were in fact late, and would have gotten an earful if someone noticed. Everyone at this point were just chatting, and it was just their good fortune that the dinner hadn't started yet. Nick made his way to the bar, while Sara scoured for their seats.  
  
"You can sit here," a woman acknowledged, sighting Sara's desperation in finding a seat.  
  
"Oh, I-" Sara started.  
  
"I'm Joanne Anderson," the woman introduced, the smell of alcohol evident in her breath.  
  
"I'm Sara," hesitantly introduced, without a choice, she sat beside the woman.  
  
"So, who suckered you into this shindig," Joanne wondered.  
  
"Um, I'm a friend of the bride," Sara stated.  
  
"Huh, who isn't? To tell you the truth, I don't even know why I was invited, I mean I hate weddings. To think, I wanted once to be a part of this silly family," the woman admitted bitterly.  
  
"I wonder if Nick's here, he's the bride's brother. Handsome man, the one who got away," she continued. Sara listened, but hoped that someone would bail her out.  
  
"Hi, sexy, got you a drink," Nick interrupted and handed Sara a drink.  
  
"Oh, Joanne, I see you've met my girlfriend, Sara," he continued, wrapping his free arm around Sara. Joanne's face was priceless; she was shocked - mortified in fact. She looked at the couple who sat beside her, and was embarrassed, with a hint of jealousy at the things she had said.  
  
"Come on honey, we better tell your mom that we're here," Sara said, playfully caressing Nick's jaw and drawing him up from his seat.  
  
"Nice to meet you," Sara said, before leading Nick towards the next table. Joanne still sat in her chair, unmoving.  
  
"Honey?" Nick wondered.  
  
"Sexy?" Sara asked, smiling. Nick winked.  
  
"What did she say to you?" Nick asked.  
  
"You saw the look on her face, she was bashing your family," Sara admitted. Nick laughed.  
  
"Yup, my first love. I sure know how to pick 'em," he continued. He pulled out a chair for Sara, and then proceeded on taking the seat beside her.  
  
"Thanks honey," Sara replied, smiling. Her conscience simply rolled its eyes, 'oh for Pete's sake,' it said.  
  
Although unwilling to admit it, Nick did enjoy being called such a sweet name, and he too liked the way his words rolled off naturally when he called Sara. Even their actions looked natural, shivers ran down his spine, and he glanced at the smiling Sara beside him. Throughout dinner, the party shared stories about the past, shared jokes, and humbly talked about the future beyond the wedding.  
  
"And when you find that special person, you damn well hold on to them," Nick's father advised, looking squarely at Nick.   
  
Eventually, everyone turned their heads to look at Nick as well. It was their aspiration that their son, brother, and friend would settle down. They watched him live the party life, the life of a swinging bachelor, and have seen him mature into a caring and compassionate human being. They wanted the best for him, a happiness that they wanted him to share with others. His parents wanted him to have company, to have someone to share his life with, a person he can love and be loved in return. They wanted him to be happy. The admired the way he lived his life, how he handled his life away from home, and they were proud. Carrie and her sisters all wanted their baby brother to be happy too, they had known for years that he dated many women, but they were sure that he never quite found 'the one'. Upon seeing him, and coming home, they watched the genuine happiness in his eyes, and they all knew who was responsible for such a change. They knew that Sara was the change their brother needed; they were confident. It was, in fact, their intent to bring them closer, and they hoped that before they leave Texas that something in them would realize it.  
  
The night was cool, and although they enjoyed the dinner and the conversation, they all knew that they had bigger fish to fry. Tomorrow as the big day, and everyone was excited, some were also afraid, a little nervous, eager, but they were very much excited.  
  
~*~  
  
It was 7:00 am, and the house was buzzing, the wedding preparation was underway. The gazebo in the backyard was decorated, the wedding parties getting ready, the caterers arriving, and the hired wedding planner scrambling to finish last minute details. The wedding was on its way. Chaos draped the household as Sara made her way towards the coffee maker, upon rising this morning, she found Nick gone, perhaps performing his duties as best man. Still in her sweatpants, she decided to avoid the house by going out to the yard. The landscape was covered with rows of chairs, perhaps 50-60 guests; it was in fact a small ceremony - just for the family. She observed the newly painted gazebo that was lined with flowers, and the aisle that was lined with bouquets of flowers as well. The backdrop was magnificent, the tall tree swaying, the small pond reflecting the white and lavender colors of the setting. She sat in a chair, and observed her surroundings; she was happy that she decided to come, happy that she could sit here and think.  
  
Several hours later, the scene was set, the place was now fully decorated, the wedding party was dressed, and the chaos that reigned earlier, now turned into a calm nervousness. Upstairs, the bride and the bridesmaids prepared, while the groom and groomsmen got ready in the guesthouse. In less than 10 minutes, the wedding was going to start.  
  
Upstairs, Michelle waited, in her beautiful and simple ivory white a-line dress; her hair done up with an orchid as an accent piece. She looked more calm than nervous; she sat staring outside onto the yard, occupied by close family. Off to the left, she saw the white tent that was the location for the reception; this was the day she had been dreaming off, and she couldn't wait to get down to the gazebo and recite her vows. In the room, the bridesmaids, all five of them, were dressed in a soft and simple satin lavender dresses, their hair done up also with a single orchid. They too fussed over each other's dresses, making sure that everything was in place, and checking each other's makeup. They were all glad to be part of the wedding, to be witnesses to this glorious occasion. The mother of the bride was now sitting by her daughter, imparting to her, words of encouragement and advice. This was a time to reflect, to prepare for a change, and they bonded.  
  
"It's show time," called Angela, holding a bouquet. With that, the bride and her entourage made their way down the stairs.  
  
Outside, the crowd gathered, on the left side sat Jason's family, while Michelle's family crammed themselves on the left side. At the front, three men gathered, Jason - the groom, Nick - 1/2 of the best men, and Tim - the other 1/2 of the best men. It had been decided to do it this way because Jason couldn't pick one over the other; so instead, he decided to have best men.  
  
"Nick, why don't you go and check on your sisters," Jason requested. The man was clearly nervous, and he showed it, his semi-pale complexion showed it all. Nick nodded and made his way towards the house.  
  
As Nick entered the house, he saw his father pacing by the door, while his sister, Michelle, walked down the stairs, he was amazed. She was surrounded by their sisters, his niece, Kate, and he took in the beautiful sight. He smiled;   
  
"Y'all don't want to be late for a wedding, do you," Nick said  
  
"We're almost ready, just looking for Kate's bouquet," Angela said.  
  
Then, she walked in. She wore a form fitting red satin dress with a black lace overlay; the strapless bodice and flared hemline, showing off her curves. He took a sharp intake of air, as he watched her hand Kate a bouquet. Nick couldn't move, he stood in one place, animated and in slow motion. 'Oh-my-god' his mind screamed, still shocked and suffering from a lapse.  
  
"Found it," Sara said, handing Kate the bouquet the girl had misplaced. Quickly, she took a glance at Nick, who stood in front of the stairs; he was wearing a simple black tuxedo, hair combed in place and an orchid on his lapel.  
  
"Nick," Angela called. He quickly snapped out of his reverie, he stared at Sara for several moments more.  
  
"Can you take a picture of us, before we head out," Angela requested, handing Nick a camera. He accepted, and took several photos.  
  
"Now, one of you and Sara," she solicited. Sara looked at him in horror. He looked at Angela, then at Sara.  
  
"We're going to be late," he said.  
  
"Well, you can't have a wedding without a bride, and I say, we still have time," Michelle insisted. She walked over to Nick and dragged him closer to Sara, who at this point was standing at the foot of the stairs.  
  
"Fine, but only because you're getting married today," Nick teased. He stood just an inch away from Sara, his body still tense at her close proximity. He was weak from her perfume; it was soft and fresh, playful in a way.  
  
'Oh god, he smells good too,' Sara's mind thought. He body was heating up, having his body so close was just too much, and she didn't know what to do with herself. She stood there, awkwardly for a second until she felt his arm wrap around her, his warm hand placed just above her waist. She angled her body to him and she looked up; she moved to place her left arm on his waist, he smiled. He turned his body on an angle and faced Sara.  
  
"You look gorgeous," he whispered in her ear. And with a sense of spontaneity, he placed a soft peck on her cheek.  
  
Sara swallowed hard, feeling flush, and knowing that her face was turning a shade of pink. She smiled and looked up at him, speechless.  
  
"Smile," Kate called behind the camera. Behind her, her aunts Carrie, Julie, Sandra, and Michelle looked simultaneously at each other, telepathically noting what they just witnessed.  
  
"Come on, let's go," Nick's father called out from behind. The Wedding March could be heard in the background, the show had indeed begun.  
  
~*~  
  
"By the church, the state of Texas and your family as witnesses, I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest blessed.   
  
As the new couple exchanged a kiss, the crowd applauded and cheered. All holding a Kleenex or handkerchief, the wedding was glorious, the event was traditional and the couple's written vows turned the seemingly light ceremony into an emotional scene. From the moment the bride stepped onto the lawn, the change of expression on Jason's face, and to this final, binding kiss. Most of the women cried, heck, some of the men cried too, trying for the longest time to withhold any tears, hoping that they don't walk out of the service with red puffy eyes, and for the women, raccoon eyes. Sara sat several rows from the front, just beside the aisle. But after earlier, she couldn't keep her eyes off Nick, something about him just made her go insane – good insane. She was puzzled about what she felt, and throughout the ceremony, she occasionally glanced at him, and several times catching him doing the same thing.  
  
'God, it burns,' she thought, touching the spot that Nick had kissed earlier.  
  
He stared at the woman who sat several rows from the front – Sara. He was still in awe at the beauty she possessed, he wondered how never really paid so much attention to her before. He wasn't like this before, or was he? He doubted. 'Maybe there was always something there,' he concluded. 'Duh,' his mind retorted. He smiled, catching a glance from Sara.  
  
~*~  
  
'CLINK' 'CLINK' 'CLINK' 'CLINK' 'CLINK'  
  
"I'd like to propose a toast," Nick began.  
  
"To Michelle and Jason, may you both find eternal happiness in each other's company," he continued. Everyone agreed and toasted to Nick's words.   
  
"We'd like to thank everyone. Without you this wouldn't be complete," Michelle spoke, using the 'we' as in her and Jason. She paused, then looked over at Nick.  
  
"And especially to my baby brother, Nick, who drove 22 hours from Vegas just to see me walk down the aisle," she smiled sincerely. Nick reciprocated her smile, and raised his glass for a toast.  
  
He then proceeded to take a sip of his drink; at this time, his sister, Angela, made her way to the microphone,  
  
"Well, this day has been a gorgeous wedding, and Nick, now it's your turn," she winked.  
  
Nick immediately coughed, the liquid that was flowing down his throat was now stuck. His ears went red, and he felt the room's temperature rise. He was so embarrassed, 'oh God, when will this be over,' he questioned himself. Sara, who was sitting beside him, was amused at the comment, she patted his back in an attempt to soothe this coughing.  
  
"Are you ok," she whispered in his ear; the crowd roaring in agreement. He simply smiled, and nodded.   
  
"How about it," Angela asked. Nick smiled simply gave a thumbs up, hoping that the subject would soon change.  
  
'Talk about pressure,' he sighed.  
  
~*~  
  
The afternoon lunch was wonderful, the traditional first dance just finished, and it was now open to the whole party. Sara sat in her chair, admiring the beautiful dresses and people who surrounded her. It was something uncommon to her, being from a small family, she never really became part of full family gathering. As she scanned the room, she spotted an unenthusiastic girl sitting in the corner, playing with the table setting. It was Kate, and Sara sighed and made her way across the tent.  
  
"Why don't you dance," Sara asked.  
  
"Oh no, I don't dance," Kate replied, embarrassed. Sara could feel the hesitation in Kate's voice, but she wanted Kate to have a nice time.  
  
"Well, since you and I are here, how about I tell you a story," Sara asked.  
  
"If this is an attempt to persuade me into dancing. Forget it," Kate replied with displeasure.  
  
"No, just a story," Sara replied.  
  
"Well, there was this girl, and she lived life from day to day, never caring about those around her. Building walls around her, thinking that if she did, then nothing would ever hurt her. She tried to do everything right, to make sure that she didn't' make any mistakes, careful with her words, calculating every minute of her life. She lived like this for a long time, until she decided to take a risk, to take a chance. After that, she realized that she was so unhappy because she made herself that way, nobody built those walls around her, she did that, they didn't hate her, she thought they did," Sara explained, looking into the girls eyes, hoping that the story was processing.  
  
"Happiness depends upon ourselves," Sara concluded.  
  
"Emerson?" Kate asked.  
  
"Aristotle," Sara corrected. Both women sat in their seats, thinking. Their one-way conversation was fermenting in their minds, and now they didn't know what to say.  
  
"Hi, may I have this dance," a man's voice interrupted.  
  
"Sure," Sara accepted, looking up at the finely dressed man. She looked back at Kate, reminding her of the talk they just had – Sara was concerned.  
  
~*~  
  
Across the tent, Nick leaned against the makeshift bar, taking in the sight of dancing people, of happy people. He missed having gatherings like this and now wished that he could do this more often. He scanned the room, from the front table to the back, before settling on the table where Sara sat; she was talking with Kate, perhaps telling her a story. He smiled, happy that Sara could reach out to his sweet, but at times, cold niece.  
  
"Your girlfriend's hot, and nice too," a man stated beside him. Nick smiled, he agreed with the man's comment, but hesitated correcting the man.  
  
"That she is," he muttered, turning his head to look over at the man.  
  
"Hi, Nick Stokes," Nick introduced, extending his hand.  
  
"Yeah, you're Michelle's brother. I guess this makes us in-laws," the man explained. He was Jason's younger brother.  
  
"How long have you two been together," the man continued to ask. Nick smiled, 'will this never end,' his mind thought.  
  
"Actually, we're not together. She's not my girlfriend," Nick corrected, but wanting not to correct the man.  
  
"Oh, well, I thought that-" the man babbled.  
  
"Nope," Nick interrupted, sounding disappointed.  
  
The man beside him simply nodded, knowing that he had just walked into an awkward situation.  
  
"Well, uh, good luck with that," he excused and hurried away.  
  
Nick waved his hand. He then turned his attention towards the dance floor, there, he spotted Sara dancing with an old college friend. His eyes were on fire, 'what is she doing with him' he asked himself. He observed Sara's face, feeling hurt, 'don't be mad, she not yours you know,' his mind acknowledged.  
  
He still looked at Sara's face; he saw some discomfort in her face, 'what's wrong Sara,' he wondered, puzzled at her expression. He continued to inspect the man, eyes still burning, he laughed.  
  
With calm, even breaths, he walked confidently across the dance floor, heading straight towards Sara and her partner.  
  
"Hi, can I just borrow her for a minute?" Nick requested.  
  
"Sure, you are the best man," the man glared, hesitating to let Sara go.  
  
"I thought you'd need some relief, are your toes ok?" Nick asked, concerned, and looking at her red toes.  
  
"I'll be fine, he's been stepping on them throughout the whole song," she smiled. He held her in his arms, wrapping them protectively around her, she didn't object, allowing him to take the lead. Slowly, they swayed to the music, and Sara watched the other people dancing around her. She spotted Kate at the edge of the dance floor, dancing with a boy. 'She did it,' she smiled, happy that Kate had taken a chance on life.  
  
"What are you smiling about," Nick asked wonderingly.  
  
"Nothing," she replied, placing her head on his shoulder. It fit perfectly, it felt natural.  
  
He was caught off guard, but he continued to dance. He simply smiled.  
  
"He's really not that great," Nick changed the subject.  
  
"What?" Sara called, head still sitting on his shoulder.  
  
"He used to pick on girls in high school," Nick revealed, stopping Sara from uttering any words.  
  
"And he was pretty friendly on campus in college," he continued desperately.  
  
"Nick Stokes, are you jealous?" Sara teased, picking up her head, and staring closely at his eyes.  
  
"Me? Jealous? No," Nick denied.  
  
"Just telling you the facts," he admitted.  
  
"You know, in case-" he began to babble.  
  
"Oh-my-god, you are," Sara glorified.  
  
"No," Nick lied.  
  
"I think he's kinda cute, pretty smart, and did you see those muscles," she winced. 'Ouch' she mouthed. Her words were probably more piercing that she had imagined, but her tone was still playful, her intent to tease Nick.  
  
With eyes focused on Sara, Nick's eyes voiced pain from her comments. He didn't say a word, he'll let her say whatever she wanted.  
  
"Don't worry, you'll always be my man from Texas," she teased. She titled her head back as she laughed aloud.   
  
There was silence, as both of them smiled and proceeded on dancing.  
  
"So you're into cute guys, sculpted muscles and a brain," Nick joked.  
  
"Only the ones who can dance," she whispered in his ear. The fine hair in on the back of his neck, stood, 'damn' his mind whimpered.  
  
Finally, for the last time before the music ended, he twirled her, cradling her in his arms as he dipped her for the finale. They both smiled as Sara came face to face with Nick.  
  
~*~  
  
"Can everyone please proceed onto the north lawn," the announcer requested, indicating to his left, as a general direction.  
  
"And would all the single ladies gather by the front of the tent, the bride is now ready to throw the bouquet," he continued.  
  
"Sara, don't want to miss this, do you," Kate said. Sara looked at Nick, hesitant.  
  
"Use those football skills, Sara," Nick advised, half-grinning.  
  
"Come on," Kate tugged on Sara's arm.  
  
"Ok," Sara accepted.  
  
Outside the tent, a small group of women assembled at the front of the tent, Sara along with them. When the group was finally assembled, Michelle turned, with her back to the group, and tossed the bouquet. It lingered in the air for several moments, teasing the crowd. She didn't put up fight for it, it simply landed in her hands, Sara was just surprised.  
  
'It's fate,' Michelle stated, as she looked over at Nick and Sara.  
  
"So, you caught the bouquet," Nick asked, smirking in amusement. Seeing Sara walk over to the table where he sat.  
  
"Yup, now I have to find myself a man," Sara answered.  
  
"I thought I was your man," Nick complained, making a fake expression of disappointment.  
  
"I'm keeping my options open," Sara smiled, whispering in his ear.  
  
~*~  
  
After an afternoon of dining and dancing, the party finally disbanded at around midnight. The Texan air had gripped the landscape prompting the guests to indulge in various activities. It was a time to celebrate, to reunite with friends, and to bond with family. They all danced into the late night, never wanting to leave. But as the children grew impatient and the adults feel tired, the party came to a gradual end.   
  
While the last of the guests pulled out of the driveway, and the Stokes family began to settle into their rooms, longing to put their feet up, ease their aches, pains, and rest.  
  
"Oh-my-God," Sara squealed excitedly in the other room.  
  
"Yes, of course I will," her voice continued.  
  
"I'm glad," Nick continued, with similar excitement.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N - What do you think? 


	7. Choices

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle  
  
A/N - I know that for some readers, the last chapter's ending was either a cliffhanger or a "huh?" moment. Well, if that happened, then I'm glad that you're reading this! You'll see the big picture soon enough.   
  
~*~  
  
"Hey Warrick, you will not believe what just happened," Sara greeted.  
  
"Yeah, the wedding was great," she continued.  
  
"Just wanted to call you, to tell you that he asked me," Sara revealed.  
  
"Yeah, I know, just a minute ago,"  
  
"Of course I said yes, are you kidding me?" She squealed, looking over at Nick, who sat, silent - but smiling on the bed.  
  
"It was such a surprise," Sara continued, shifting the phone from one ear to the other.  
  
"We're so happy," again, she looked at Nick, the grin still evident in his face.  
  
"The date? We don't know," Sara replied, biting her lower lip.  
  
"I'm so happy. It's finally happening," she glorified.  
  
"Who knew?" She continued, walking over to Nick, smiling, and sitting beside him. His smile couldn't get any wider.  
  
"Ok, well I have to go, I need some sleep. Oh and please try to keep this under wraps - if you can," she concluded.  
  
"Ok, bye." And with the click of the other line, she hung up the phone.  
  
She hung up her phone and smiled at Nick.  
  
Behind the door, that led to Nick and Sara's room, stood Carrie, smile and a mischievous look on her face. She had heard Sara's squeals on her way back from the kitchen, and she overheard this whole conversation too. She slowly crept back to her room, eager to tell everyone the great news. 'Finally,' she thought, she knew that those two were meant for each other, she was proud that Nick had finally popped the question.  
  
They heard a slight creak of the floorboards, but figured that it was just someone passing by their room.  
  
"What did Warrick say?" Nick questioned, standing over the bed; while Sara made her way to her side of her bed.  
  
"He's really happy," Sara gleamed, creeping into bed.  
  
"Are you sleeping with me?" She asked. Nick smiled, as he pulled the covers over himself.  
  
"If you insist," he smiled. Sara smiled, and gently punched his arm.  
  
"Ah, I know, isn't that amazing?" He said, slimly unaffected by her punch.  
  
"Yeah, Catherine and Grissom, finally, the sexual tension is over," Sara sighed. 'Talk about sexual tension,' he mind noted casually, as Sara looked over at Nick.  
  
"I know, it looks like Grissom finally got the courage to ask her that question we all know was driving him up the wall," Nick laughed.  
  
"I can believe he asked us to be part of their wedding. That was just too nice," Sara smiled. She shifted her body to face Nick.  
  
"Oh, so I guess you like weddings now," Nick teased, inching closer.  
  
"Maybe," she teased back.  
  
"Goodnight Nicky," Sara stared into Nick's eyes. Resisting the urge to move a little closer.   
  
"Good night, sexy," Nick cracked.  
  
~*~  
  
It was a peaceful night, and like most nights, Nick and Sara spelt through the commotion of the house. It was just minutes after sunrise, and already the family congregated in the kitchen, Carrie in the middle of the bunch. She, of course, was sharing the conversation she had overheard earlier.  
  
"Hot damn," Nick's father commented.  
  
"He asked her last night," Carrie continued.  
  
"What's the big commotion about," Nick asked, walking into the roomful of people. Sara stood just behind him, a little dazed, searching for some coffee. They both woke up from the family's occasional squeal of excitement.  
  
As the couple walked into the room, they all smiled, waiting.  
  
"What?" Nick asked innocently. He walked over to the coffee machine, two mugs in hand.  
  
"Congratulations. We're so happy for you, we knew that you were more than friends," Nick's mother smiled. She walked over and gave him a hug and a quick peck before proceeding towards Sara to do the same.  
  
"What?" Nick asked, still confused. He handed Sara a mug full of coffee and leaned against the counter.  
  
"Oh, don't be so coy, we know." Angela said, walking over to Nick, and giving him a warm hug.  
  
"I'm so happy," Kate said excitedly, giving Sara a hug. Sara, surprised and somewhat confused by the situation, returned the hug.  
  
"Uh, okay," she mumbled.  
  
"Know about what?" Nick asked - confusion plastered on his face.  
  
"You know..." Carrie spoke up, waving her hands in front of her.  
  
Both Nick and Sara raised an eyebrow, 'what is going on' both minds wondered.  
  
"Oh, quit keeping it a secret. We know you're engaged," Tim noted.  
  
"We're what?" Sara and Nick said in chorus.  
  
"Carrie heard you talk about it," Angela said casually. Carrie then turned to her sister and gave her a long venomous stare.  
  
A smile occupied Sara's face; she looked over at the still stunned Nick. He was blushing, embarrassed that the whole family thought he was being hitched.  
  
"Should I tell them, or do you want to," Sara giggled.  
  
"Oh so you are engaged. Quick, let me see the ring," Nick's mother urged, the sisters close behind her.  
  
Sara didn't hesitate to hold out the ring less finger on her left hand.  
  
"But-" Nick's mother gasped. Looking up at Sara, confusion in her eyes.  
  
"What's right, there's no ring. That's because Sara and I aren't engaged. Please stop thinking we are," Nick cleared.  
  
"Then-" Carrie began.  
  
"You misinterpreted what you overheard," Nick continued.  
  
"Catherine and Grissom, our other co-workers have just gotten engaged, and they have asked Sara and I to be part of their wedding." Nick explained, he looked up at Sara and smiled, she did the same.  
  
"But-" Angela countered disbelief and disappointment in her eyes.  
  
Everyone fell silent; disappointed by the news, but feeling more humiliated at the chaos they caused. They all looked at Sara, then at Nick, both of whom smiling and amused by the looks on their faces.  
  
'They look so disappointed,' Sara's mind warned.  
  
'I wish I didn't have to do that. I wish I was actually engaged,' Nick signed in his head.  
  
~*~  
  
Las Vegas, NV  
  
"Did you call Sara?" Catherine wondered. She placed a hand on Grissom's shoulder.   
  
Both just got back from their weekend in Lake Mead. And it was where Grissom had proposed to her the other day. After years of a silent relationship, Grissom had finally taken a chance, and decided to cement their growing relationship. It was an obvious shock to Catherine, seeing, as Grissom never seemed to be the "settle-down-and-build-a-life" sort of person. But over the years that she had known him, she knew to expect the unexpected - and this was definitely not expected.  
  
"Yes," Grissom grinned. He looked at Catherine, he was glad that she accepted his proposal. Overjoyed in fact.  
  
"And...?" Catherine urged.  
  
"They were happy," Grissom responded, kissing his bride-to-be on the lips.  
  
"Good," Catherine smiled.  
  
"Did you tell Warrick," Catherine questioned.  
  
"No, haven't gotten around to it, but I'm almost certain that once Sara got off the phone with me, that she probably called him." Grissom assured.  
  
"And Greg," Grissom continued, placing his arm around Catherine's waist.  
  
"Nick probably called him too," Catherine answered.  
  
"How long do you think we have until everyone in the lab finds out? Catherine wondered.  
  
"4 hours, 46 minutes," Warrick answered from the door. He smiled and congratulated the newly engaged couple.  
  
"I'm going to get out of here. I have to get myself a woman, I'm completely missing out on the action," he winked and continued to walk towards the parking lot.  
  
Both Grissom and Catherine smiled, and stared momentarily into each other's eyes. They were happy.  
  
~*~  
  
'KNOCK' 'KNOCK' 'KNOCK' 'KNOCK' - The door rapped.  
  
"I'll get it," Nick's mother offered, desperately seeking a way to leave the awkward vibe of the room. She left, still embarrassed and disappointed from what had just occurred, and returned with a leggy blonde-haired woman.  
  
"Guess who's here to visit," she introduced.  
  
"Jamie," Nick gasped, slowly placing his cup of coffee on the counter.  
  
"Hi Nick," she said softly. Everyone looked at Sara, but she didn't notice the set of eyes. She looked at Nick, then at Jamie, speechless. Her breathing almost ceasing.  
  
Nick made his way towards Jamie, paused inches from her, and hugged her tightly. 'Oh God, it's you,' his mind thought. Jamie hugged him back, with equal emotion and depth.  
  
Sara's heart sank. Eyes hurt and confused.  
  
Everyone still kept their eyes on Sara, they couldn't see the hurt in her eyes - but it was there.  
  
"It's nice to see you again," she whispered.  
  
"You're here," he uttered, holding on the woman in front of him.  
  
The awkward silence dragged on. Nobody moved.  
  
"Hi, I'm Jamie," she introduced herself. Pulling away from Nick; noticing the brunette leaning against the counter, she didn't know who she was.  
  
Sara smiled.  
  
"Oh, right. Um, Sara Sidle, Jamie Watson," Nick finally introduced; snapping out of his tunneled mind.  
  
"Hi everyone," Jamie greeted.  
  
Everyone smiled back, faces still focused on Sara. Whose eyes were still fixated on Nick, still numb.  
  
Nick looked over at Sara; he saw the great hurt in her eyes. Sara blinked.  
  
"Excuse me," she said softly and rapidly exited the room.  
  
Again, an awkward silence.  
  
"I'll be right back," Nick said, before rushing after Sara.  
  
"Well, dear, why don't I take you around the ranch, you haven't been here in a while," Evelyn offered. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief - they had been holding their breaths for a while now.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sara," Nick crept into the room. Sara was just fixing the bed's covers, she didn't answer.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing," she mumbled. Nick just stood there, 'she'll say something - right?' his mind thought.  
  
"Sara?" he finally directed.  
  
"What?" Sara asked harshly, pausing from fixing the bed. Nick didn't say anything.  
  
"Don't just stand there, say something," Sara snapped, walking over to the bathroom and fiercely flipping on the light switch.  
  
"Why are you acting like this?" Nick asked, following her.  
  
"Acting like what? I'm just trying to clean up," Sara reminded, pushing Nick to the side and walking past him.  
  
"Just leave everything, we have to talk," Nick asked.  
  
"Talk about what?"  
  
"About why you're being moody," Nick continued to question, following Sara's every move.  
  
"Moody?" Sara asked. Nick half smiled.  
  
"I'm-not-moody!" Sara screamed.  
  
"You're being unreasonable," he opposed.   
  
"Me? Unreasonable? I traveled 22 hours to the middle of something that I don't seem to know about," Sara explained.  
  
"You chose to come," Nick claimed.  
  
"No, Nick, I came because-" she trailed off. 'God, what am I doing here,' she asked herself.  
  
"You know what, I'm fine, everything's fine," she said, trying to sound calm.  
  
"No, we are not dropping this subject," Nick asserted. Watching Sara walk back towards the bathroom.  
  
"Sara, stop," he pleaded, reaching out his hand. Sara brushed him off.  
  
"Oh, and nobody pining away, my ass," she scoffed, slamming the bathroom door.  
  
"Is that all this is about?" Nick asked.  
  
"No, this is not about Jamie," Sara replied through the door.  
  
"Ah, so this IS about Jamie," Nick probed, as he leaned on the closed door.  
  
"No, it isn't. It's about nothing," Sara assured.  
  
"Jealous?" Nick asked.  
  
"Of course not!" Sara replied with false calmness.  
  
"Ok, then tell me," Nick encouraged.  
  
"It's nothing really," Sara replied. A soft sob escaped her lips.  
  
'Is she crying,' Nick wondered. 'Oh God, what's wrong,' he was concerned; he wanted to reach out to her, to just hold her, even if it was just for a moment. He wanted to know what was going on.  
  
"Sara, damnit, open the door," Nick pleaded, shaking the door handle.  
  
"Nick, just leave me alone," Sara replied calmly.  
  
"No," Nick insisted.  
  
"Just go," she exclaimed.  
  
"Arg, Have it your way, I give up. Lock yourself in the bathroom, build your walls," Nick yelled in frustration.  
  
"Thank you," Sara replied harshly sarcastic.  
  
"Fine, alright then, no problem," he retorted, and moved briskly towards the door.  
  
Downstairs, the family, minus Evelyn and Jamie, listened to Sara and Nick argue. They were startled at the door that slamming, and dreaded the silence that followed. Soon, Nick stomped down the stairs, and looked at the family. He rushed past them and headed towards the stables.  
  
He needed to clear his mind.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey, can't you ride with your old man anymore," Robert, Nick's father asked. Nick turned the horse he was riding, and half-grinned, waiting for the elder Stokes to catch up.  
  
"I see that the city hasn't taken your ability to ride," he smiled. Nick just looked up in silence.  
  
"She's a nice girl, Nick." Robert stated. The silence was now broken.  
  
"Yeah," Nick agreed.  
  
"You don't know who I'm talking about, do you," Robert continued. Nick gave Robert a troubled and confused smile.  
  
"Ah, two women, that is the trouble, you will have to choose," his father advised. He felt sorry for his youngest son, knowing the awkward position he was in.  
  
"I know," Nick confirmed glumly.  
  
Both father and son rode along the property, taking in the early morning sun, and having a talk - a talk they've never had in years.  
  
"Jamie, we have a history," Nick began. His father nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"I mean, she's a part of me," Nick sighed deeply.  
  
"Then, there's Sara," Nick smiled. Weaving his mind towards the times he's spent with her.  
  
"She's different, I don't know what it is, I mean she's great; perfect, in fact," Nick asserted.  
  
"Then why the hell aren't you doing anything about it. I didn't raise you to be afraid of life,"  
  
"Well, it's complicated. I don't want to risk it," Nick admitted.  
  
"Boy, if life wasn't about taking risks, do you think I'd be where I am today? Nick's father growled, looking closely at his son,  
  
"Take the damn plunge," his father smiled. Nick smiled too. It was true; he did like Sara, this trip made him see that. Sure he always consciously flirted with her, but now, he wanted more.  
  
"And don't come back until you do something about it," his father advised.  
  
Nick laughed aloud; the sense of uncertainty in his tone.  
  
"It's like going insane, but knowing that you are in fact sane. Daring and afraid, comfort and confusion - contradictory, everything up in the air," Nick explained in frustration. 'Love?' his heart ached.  
  
"I don't know," his mind contradicted - unsure. He looked up at his father, like a little child seeking guidance.  
  
"Hmm, I can't tell you what you feel, even if you think you can't hear it - just listen," his father advised.  
  
Nick smiled, he never really knew which part of home he missed, but at he knew that he missed his father's words. The advice that had flooded him throughout his life - that was one of the things that he missed.  
  
~*~  
  
He stood outside a set of doors, staring into the living room and spotting Jamie, and down the hall, he saw Sara proceed up the stairs. He had to make a choice.  
  
'It's not a matter of two women,' Nick's mind reminded him. He then pulled open the door and proceeded through the living room.   
  
'It's all just about one,' it continued.  
  
"Hi Jamie," Nick greeted.  
  
~*~  
  
To be concluded...  
  
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*   
  
A/N - Like all great journeys, it must, at some point come to an end. And for this one, the next chapter will indeed be the end. :(  
  
After many semi-predictable chapters, I've decided to shake it up a little...and what do you think? Don't hold anything back; I'm armed with a fireproof shield in case you don't like it.  
  
Please review, I'd absolutely love to hear from you. Love it, loathe it, review it - oceanwave 


	8. Searching

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle  
  
A/N - Wow, the last chapter received mixed reviews. And mind you, I also got my share of fireballs. *Ouch* As for Jaime, well, she's a catalyst for this story, so keep reading, you'll see what I mean. And I apologize for the late posting, I'm going through a horrible week, and I've been writing this in between my schedule. But, anyway, read on.  
  
~*~  
  
The woman sat, smiling at the sound of Nick's voice. Nick's sisters and mother sat around her, knowing that something significant was underway. They held their breaths.  
  
"Hi," Jamie replied.  
  
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Nick requested. He then, motioned for Jamie to follow him outside.   
  
"Sure," Jamie replied dryly. Everyone sat in silence.   
  
Both walked out into the yard, with Nick closing the door behind him, Nick glanced back at the group of women leaning against the door.   
  
Jamie and Nick continued to walk a way from the house, across the yard, and just in front of the gazebo. Just two days ago, the site was the setting for a wedding, and today, it was just another setting.  
  
"It's nice to see you. It's utterly been so long," Nick half-smiled.  
  
"Yes. I guess time does that," Jamie replied.  
  
"Time," Nick paused.  
  
"Jamie, when you left to seek your place in the world, time slipped away," he explained, with his eyes fixated on her eyes.  
  
"You went off to conquer the corporate world, and later, I moved to Las Vegas. We went our different ways, we had new experiences, and we met new people," Nick explained, pausing to find the right words.  
  
"But, you can never run away from home," he concluded.  
  
"From this," Jamie indicated to his heart.  
  
"And I can't deny that. You are a part of my life. But my home has changed, after moving to Vegas, I found a different way home," Nick explained.  
  
"Sara?" Jamie asked. Nick nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry. It was unexpected, and I never imagined that you'd return," Nick pleaded.  
  
"Love is unexpected," Jamie reminded.  
  
"I'm sorry," Nick apologized, pulling her into a hug, perhaps for a final time.  
  
"Don't be sorry. I'm happy that you found your home," she reciprocated.  
  
They stood still for a moment, and thought placidly about the past. Nick pulled away, and smiled at her, but disappointed by the hurt in her blue eyes.   
  
'If only it was a different place and a different time,' he thought to himself.  
  
~*~  
  
Sara stood by the window, watching Nick and Jamie walk out into the yard. Her heart sank; she felt her chest tighten, as if being mechanically squeezed.  
  
'Oh God it hurts,' she cursed herself. She hated being in love, she never admitted it to herself, but seeing Nick's reaction to Jaime just crushed her. This trip had been an eye opener for her, but she also knew that this might have made a greater impact on Nick.  
  
She was suffocating, she watched the couple exchange words and a hug, and she couldn't breathe.  
  
'I need to get out of here,' her mind ordered.  
  
Without hesitation, she grabbed the set of keys that sat on the night table and rushed out of the door. She galloped down the stairs and briefly looked for a friendly face, finding nobody; she quickly made her way outside towards the parked Tahoe.  
  
She drove for an hour, never quite knowing where to go, no sense of direction, just the general direction to get away from the Stokes Ranch. She headed north, to where the wind took her, finally, she ended up at the edge of Lake Texoma. She parked the Tahoe closely, and walked towards the lake's edge and sat by it, searching the ripples of water for something. She looked around the seemingly placid lake, and was amazed, she saw the beautiful glistening sun against its surface, taken aback by her surroundings.  
  
"Miss?" a man asked. She turned around, only to see a man in a jeans and raincoat, who looked just about ready to go fishing.  
  
"Joe," Sara greeted.  
  
"Sara? Is that right?" he asked. Sara nodded in agreement.  
  
"What are you doing here?" He continued to probe; he spotted the black Tahoe, and Nevada plates, but was surprised when he only spotted Sara, and not Nick.  
  
"Just needed to clear my head," she replied. "How's the fish biting today?"  
  
"Haven't gotten a chance to go out to the marina," the man paused. He sighted the sadness that plagued Sara's face, and her being alone by the lake, sure made him think there was something wrong.  
  
"Say, do you like to fish? Wanna Keep me company?" He solicited.  
  
"I don't fish, but why not, I have nothing better to do," Sara replied, a fake smiled on her face.  
  
Both of them made it down to the marina, and hoped onto 28' Catalina boat, and soon cast off and sailed up the lake. As they reached a certain part, Joe turned the engine low, to a point where the only sound heard was a soft hum. He then handed Sara a fishing pole, and soon both of them sat by the boat's edge, waiting for a fish to bite.  
  
"Clear your head of what?" Joe asked.  
  
"Pardon?" Sara asked, looking up.  
  
"When I asked you what you were doing up here, and you said, you were clearing your head," Joe explained.  
  
"Oh nothing, just wanted to come see the lake," Sara explained timidly.  
  
"Where's Nick?" Joe probed. Sara cringed at the mention of his name.  
  
"He's at the ranch, sorting some things through," Sara replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Ah, I know it's not my business, but seems to me like you came here to get away from whatever it is that's happening at the ranch," he replied, with Nick as the prime suspect. Sara didn't move, she just stared ahead.  
  
"It's normal to come up here, just to think. I used to find Nick up here, just sitting by the lake, thinking," Joe explained, still, Sara remained silent.  
  
"Lord knows what that boy was thinking about, but he's been through a lot," Joe continued. Both of them just stared out onto the lake, thinking of things just miles away.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sara asked, finally overwhelmed by curiosity.  
  
"Ever since he was young, he'd been searching, always searching. Never quite happy with what he found," Joe began. Sara still looked ahead, taking in the man's words.  
  
"He never found 'it'" he paused.  
  
"It?" Sara wondered.  
  
"He met a lot of girls, found them, fall for them, but in the end, nothing," he stated. He then proceeded to take out a juice bottle from the cooler and handed Sara a bottle.  
  
"Until Jamie Watson," he finally mumbled.  
  
"Jamie?" Sara asked, somewhat fuming at the sound of her name.  
  
"Uh huh, he fell for her – hard. They were friends since high school, and became closer friends in college. She was the friend that Nick needed, and the love that he never quite found. Heck, after college, people were even talking about a marriage," Joe explained.  
  
"But like all the others, she left too. She wanted to travel the world, make her mark; and Nick, well, he wanted to stay close to home, to his family," Joe continued. Briefly, he looked over at Sara, whose eyes were glazed, he wasn't sure whether they were of pity, anger or pain, or whether it was a combination of all.  
  
"Broke his heart," the man drawled.  
  
"What did he do?" Sara wondered out loud.  
  
"He walked away, never looked back. Never returned – until now," the man stated. He then noticed that there was something tugging on the fishing pole; and with much delight, he jumped at the chance to reel in his catch.  
  
Undeterred from her thoughts, Sara continued to look out onto the lake. Her heart was tender, raw from the realities that flooded to her thoughts.  
  
~*~  
  
"It was nice to see you, I'm glad that you're doing well," Nick acknowledged.  
  
"Take care. Don't forget to visit sometime," Jamie replied sympathetically.  
  
"Only if you remember," Nick half joked. Jamie smiled faintly. "Be happy."   
  
Nick nodded, and watched her walk towards her car. Stared at the car as it disappeared into the distance.  
  
'Ok, Sara. Just tell her how you feel,' his mind encouraged sincerely.  
  
He then made his way up the stairs; palms sweaty, heart beating rapidly, breathing quickening. He briefly stopped in front of the bedroom door, inhaled, and slowly opened the door. He glanced around the room, 'where is she?' his mind wondered. He walked towards the open bathroom, 'please tell me she didn't leave,' his mind ranted.  
  
"Sara?" he called out. No response.  
  
"Sara?" he called out again, walking out into the hallway, frantically searching each room. He ran back to his room and checked for his keys, 'damn', he muttered. With great speed, he raced down the hall towards the kitchen,  
  
"Have you seen Sara," he asked the silent room, garnering appalled and dissatisfied looks from his family.  
  
"Did she tell you where she went," he pleaded. Nobody spoke.  
  
"Please," he pleaded, desperation in his eyes.  
  
"She's upstairs," Kate uttered,  
  
"No, she's not,"  
  
"What?" Cried a concerned and surprised Evelyn.  
  
"Where did she go?" Nick asked, searching everyone's eyes for answers.  
  
Everyone looked at each other, the day's excitement had made them unaware of Sara's departure. They all shook their heads.  
  
"Tim, can I borrow your truck," Nick asked. Tim, then reached into his pocket and gladly tossed Nick a set of keys. Nick smiled, with gratitude. After which, he hopped into the truck, he was off, searching.   
  
Searching.  
  
~*~  
  
To be concluded...sadly, this time for sure.  
  
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*  
  
A/N - I hope everyone remembers Joe, the Sheriff, from chapter 4.   
  
THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER. I said that this chapter was the last, and I'm sorry, but I had to divide the chapters a little. This chapter's short, but I hope it answers some of the questions you have about Jamie. However, I hope that you stick around for the actual conclusion of the story. I':)   
  
I'd appreciate it if you please review and tell me what you think: love it, loathe it, review it. 


	9. Home

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter 1 - Michelle  
  
A/N - Alright, for everyone who's reading this right now, THANK YOU. Thank you for reading this far, and for sticking with my tale of love, humor, family and adventure - or just pure sap. It's been and absolute blast writing another fic, and I hope to write others soon. Thank you so much *kisses and hugs* to everyone who has reviewed and have carried me out of a day's slumps to write this stuff. I'm happy that so many people enjoyed it, and I just loved the feedback. Thank you so very much. Well, this is the absolute last chapter *sniff* but I hope that you are content with the story's resolution. Please drop me a note whether or not you liked it. Sorry for the late posting, no excuses, just sorry. Anyway, now I'll leave you to read the ending of the saga.  
  
~*~  
  
"This is nice," Sara said. About 30 minutes had passed since their last words.  
  
"I'm glad that you finally decided to talk," Joe replied.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to think things through," Sara apologized.  
  
"I understand."  
  
Sara looked at the man, questioning the look he wore, a look of sheer stillness, not emptiness, just serene.  
  
"Do you come here often," she asked.  
  
"Every chance I get," he replied.  
  
"That's the great thing about Texas, you can travel from the city to the country, the old to the new, and still feel the same – be the same," he answered cryptically.  
  
"This is a good home," Sara commented.  
  
"Well, it is definitely where my heart is," Joe replied.  
  
For hours, both sat in the comfort of the boat, thinking, caught up in the lake's peacefulness. The fish wasn't bad either, every now and then, they would reel in something. With time, they hadn't really paid attention to the moving sun, they only sitting, taking in the scenery. It was just before sunrise that they realize the time, knowing that they had to return to the marina. Both knew that this escape was temporary, and that they soon would have to face the realities they ran from.   
  
Upon reaching the marina, both hopped out of the both, fish in tow.  
  
"Thank you," Sara said softly. Joe turned his attention away from the trunk of his truck, and faced Sara.  
  
"Anytime you're in Texas," Joe replied, the tone of his voice deepened by his accent. He smiled, and likewise, Sara smiled.  
  
"Everything will be fine," Joe assured, pulling Sara into a soft hug.  
  
'I hope so,' Sara's mind thought. They released each other from their embrace, Joe looked at Sara and bid her goodbye – to take care. He was sincere in his words, deeply concerned at the distraught look Sara portrayed earlier. But the water made her look calmer, more understanding, and that certainly put his mind at ease. He smiled a finally time, and jumped into his truck, waving at Sara – who still stood in the parking lot.  
  
The sky was a dark blue, with grey tints and orange streaks. The sky was almost dark, and the lake looked magnificent, burning, but the water remained calm.  
  
~*~  
  
He drove for hours, looking for Sara. Searching.  
  
He canvassed the local places that would have interested Sara, checking flight bookings to Las Vegas, local gas stations, and dreadfully checked the hospitals as well. Nothing.  
  
The day was wearing thin, and he knew that he had to find her, to tell her, he couldn't lose her. The sun was about to set, and he didn't know were to go, his mind just in shambles. He continued driving, 'north, maybe there's something there,' his mind convinced him. His journey continued, and it leaded him to the edge of the lake, he parked the truck by the lake, staring out onto the sun's reflection in the water. His mind was flooded by memories of the times he spent by this lake, contemplating life, thinking of love, escaping.  
  
'God, it's been so long,' he thought, he watched the lake and hopped out of the truck, walking around it and onto the lake's edge.   
  
He sat there; unmoving, silent, thinking. Staring out onto the distance.  
  
~*~  
  
She sat atop a rock, curled up, with arms hugging her knees and her face rested on her knees. Sara sat there, silent, thinking, looking out onto the still lake.  
  
Nick got up from his spot, wanting to walk around, to feel the sand between his toes.  
  
She stayed still, feeling a cool breeze flow past her, her hair waving in the wind.  
  
He walked around the lake's edge, taking in the scenery that still thrived. He saw someone familiar, and relief washed over his body. He walked closer to the woman who sat atop a rock, hair waving in the wind. He breathed, aware of the nervousness that claimed his body.  
  
She stayed still, thinking.  
  
Slowly, he eased himself beside her, being silent and calm.  
  
She felt his presence, knowing that it was Nick. A feeling of relief and at the same time, calmness came over her body.  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt you," he murmured.  
  
"It's just that, when Jamie left, I was lost for the longest time. Seeing her, just-" he continued, glancing at Sara's blank face.  
  
"Seeing her, closed that part of my life. It made my head at peace, knowing that after all these years, she was alright," Nick assured.  
  
"She will always be a part of me, a part of my past. She helped me find myself when I was lost."  
  
"I loved her – a long time ago, she was my guide, my compass, my home. But after she left, I lost myself, I ran away,"  
  
"But you, helped me find myself again," Nick emphasized.  
  
"This trip made me realize the things that I missed, what I wanted and what mattered most," he paused.  
  
"You," he continued, again looking into the face that didn't have words.  
  
"This trip helped me find my way home, helped me find my way to you," he breathed, waiting for a reaction.  
  
Nothing, no words, no emotion.  
  
"Well, I've said what I wanted to say, and I guess this is my cue to leave, " Nick broke the silence, feeling dejected.  
  
"Stay," Sara whispered, she finally broke free from her daze and looked up at him. He obeyed, sitting close to her, wanting to wrap his arms around her as the cool wind blew, but resisted the urge.  
  
They watched the rest of the sunset in silence, words never needed to communicate what their heart held true. He stared into her warm eyes, speechless at this moment, having no words to pronounce. He reached his hand closer to her, holding her face in his hand, and turning it towards him.  
  
She looked at him, calmness and understanding plagued her eyes. She smiled, and allowed Nick to pull her closer. She gazed at his anticipating lips, hers tingling at the thought of kissing his.   
  
Nick never took his eyes of her, watching as she reacted to his actions, and happy that she didn't pull away. With ease and gentleness, he inched closer and closer, taking in her soft scent and warm breathe. Finally, he placed his lips against hers, letting the heat that seared through him to conform to her sweet, soft lips.   
  
Fire.  
  
She didn't hesitate, and allowed her lips to contact with his, they were soft, and the tingle in her lips intensified. Sara felt a soft smile curve from Nick's lips as both of them pulled apart. Their cheeks hot, and body warm and stinging. They both smiled at each other's cheeks, happy that the moment was as pleasing as they had hopped, even more. Sara slipped her hand into Nick's and held it as they sat quietly, never wanting to leave each other's company.  
  
There were no words that both wanted to share, silence was precious, and they reveled in it. Who needed words, when someone you loved shared a moment like this?  
  
~*~  
  
"Ok, this is the plan," Carrie urged.  
  
"We all know that there's something going on with Nick and Sara, correct?" she continued. Everyone nodded.  
  
"Ok, so when they return, we're just gonna have to make them see that," Carrie concluded. Everyone nodded.  
  
"So, who's gonna go it?" She asked, nobody nodded, nobody uttered a word, not so such as even move. Suddenly, they sighted two sets of headlights outside – this was it.  
  
"Arg, do I have to do everything by myself?" Carrie mumbled.  
  
~*~  
  
Nick jumped out of the truck and proceeded towards the door, Sara followed. The trip had been very short, but the day was long, and now they just wanted to get some rest.  
  
"Hi, have a nice drive?" Carrie questioned, opening the large oak doors and startling the couple.  
  
"Good, cause now we have some things we want to say to the both of you," Carrie insisted, pushing the front door closed, nodding at Tim and Angela. They both took Nick and Sara hostage, forcing them in to the living room. Both somewhat cooperated, a little reluctant at first.   
  
"Yeah, but-" Sara protested.  
  
"Sit," Carrie growled.  
  
"We talk, you listen," Angela continued.  
  
"But-" Nick also protested, he tried to get up from the couch, but was forced to sit by his towering older brother.  
  
"Sit!" Tim ordered, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
"Look, this little 'fight' has to stop," Carrie pleaded, waving both hands in the air.  
  
"Y'all know that we love you, and Lord knows, that you are just perfect for each other," Carrie paused. Nick and Sara looked at her, waiting for the sentence's conclusion.  
  
"So what's the hold up," Evelyn asked jumping out of the armchair seated across the couch.  
  
Nick and Sara just looked at each other, eager to tell them about "them."  
  
"See, we-" Nick began, but was again interrupted by Carrie's words.  
  
"You," she pointed at her younger brother's direction.  
  
"We all know that you have a history with Jamie; and we respect that. But that was then, and this is now. Jamie left, and she made her choice. You need to make that choice that we know you've been dying to make," she began – this wasn't the end of her speech. And everyone, minus Tim sat around the couch, knowing that with Carrie at the helm of 'the inquisition' that it was going to be a long night. However, they were anxious to see what would transpire after this intervention. After all, they all believed in the same thing, they all saw it, and now more than ever, Nick needed a little boost. This was their form of a boost.  
  
"And don't you dare say to me, that you have no idea what I'm talking about," Carrie accused.  
  
"Carrie-" Sara began.  
  
"Shh, did I ask you to talk? I'm not finished," Carrie snapped. All watched as Sara raised her arms to surrender.  
  
'Ouch,' everyone winced, those words were a little harsh, and they knew Carrie was getting out of hand, they were gonna stop her – soon.   
  
"Y'all need to hear what the both of you need to know," Carrie continued, her face was turning red, she was pumped, ready and determined to bring Sara and Nick together.  
  
"Sara," she began, finally calming her nerves, and extending a hand.  
  
"I know that you were hurt by Jamie coming in here, but don't be scared. Jamie is a past chapter in Nick's life. She did that when she packed up her bags and left - in search for God knows what," Carrie threw her arms in the air, unsure about what to say next.  
  
"Look, you are a wonderful girl; you're smart, funny as hell, and looks to boot," Carrie managed to articulate. Sara blushed, flattered at the kind words.  
  
"You're perfect, and you shouldn't feel any less compared to Jamie," Carrie continued, holding Sara's face, as if inspecting it.  
  
"We all liked her, I mean, she made Nick 'different', and we were happy to know her,"  
  
"Well, that was until she decided to leave, and Nick mopped around the house," the woman continued. She imitated Nick's actions; with her shoulders slouched, and face drowned in sadness.   
  
"When I ended up dragging him around for a summer –" Carrie trailed off.  
  
"Anyway, that doesn't matter, the point is –" Carrie continued, waving her hand as if to wave the words she expressed out of the way. At this point, she really started sounding crazy.   
  
"The point is, we just want Nick to be happy, and for you to be happy," Angela interrupted.  
  
"Nick hasn't been as happy as he has been in the past couple of days," she continued.  
  
"And you're the one who brought that about, you're the last piece of the equation,"   
  
Angela urged, looking into Sara's brown eyes.  
  
"Your cute antics does little to hide your emotions too," Angela pointed out, sighting Sara taking a short glance at Nick.   
  
"Nick's a great person, he's been here for all of us, to share our happiness with us, but he too deserves to be happy," Carrie interrupted calmly, glaring at her sister's interruption.  
  
"This little lug doesn't even know what's in front of him," Carrie stated, slapping Nick in the back of the head. Nick didn't move, he just squinted at his sisters, but silently entertained by their ridiculous behavior.  
  
"Sara, let me tell you something," Angela began, it was now her turn to join the fun.   
  
"He may like his women tall and blonde, be he loves women who can play football," Angela winked, citing from the previous football game incident. 'That sounds encouraging,' Sara's mind commented.   
  
"Girl, you can play," Angela emphasized, her accent ever so thick. Sara continued to blush, she was so embarrassed, amused, but embarrassed.  
  
'Why me?' Nick questioned, asking himself. His cheeks were flushed, 'these people are insane' he continued. He was uncomfortable yet stunned by his family's determination in bringing him and Sara together; captivated by the way Sara entertained their ideas. He just smiled, waiting for the family's next line of defense.  
  
"Katherine, did you want to add anything," Angela asked, motioning the young woman to say something. Unwillingly, Kate, with her hair pulled back and typical black attire on, walked across the room and looked pleasantly at Sara. 'Kate, it's Kate, not Katherine,' she uttered to herself, hating her given name.  
  
"Well, you've pretty much heard enough from both my Aunts, and I really have nothing more to add," Kate said. She looked at Carrie and Angela, witnessing their influential looks.  
  
"I really don't know or have anything to say, except for, well, as embarrassed as I am to admit, Uncle Nicky's cool," Kate admitted. She avoided looking at Nick, ashamed that a girl her age still called her beloved Uncle, Uncle Nicky.  
  
"Years back, even though it wasn't his style, I remember him dressing up as Santa one year – just so I didn't lose faith in Christmas," she recalled.  
  
"I knew it was you all along," Kate winked. 'Aww,' Nick sighed, remembering the moment with his niece, amused that she remembered that event.   
  
"I don't know why I decided to tell you that story, but well, what I'm basically saying is that, he's a good guy who'd be willing to do anything for you, to go above and beyond everything just to bring out a smile," Kate explained.  
  
Sara smiled at the girl's honestly, and touched by the cute story. She looked over at Nick, 'How sweet,' she thought. Nick smiled from ear to war, proud at the person his niece had become.   
  
Kate looked around the room, waiting for someone to continue, but nobody stood up, or even uttered a word. They were all tired of listening to the rapid-fire statements, they needed a break. Upon sighting the tired group, Kate turned her focus towards Nick and Sara.   
  
"Any questions?" She asked, with the classic Stokes arched eyebrow lifting.  
  
"That went well," Carrie exhaled. With a stunned and somewhat scared look, Nick and Sara shook their heads in unison.  
  
"Good." Kate concluded.   
  
The inquisition was over.  
  
"We'll leave you kids some time alone," Evelyn hushed, ushering the family out onto the backyard. As usual, they all moved like a herd of cattle outside at her command. Once they were far enough from the door, Sara turned to Nick and looked at him.  
  
"Should we tell them that we're ok," Sara began.  
  
"We could," Nick answered softly, turning his head to face Sara. He leaned in, just inches away from her face, he stared solemnly into her eyes. She too leaned in a little closer, closing in the space between them. Nick cupped her face with his hands and pulled her closer, soon their lips met and like fire, heat surged through both their bodies. Intensifying as their kiss deepened.   
  
"I guess we can always tell them later," Sara smiled, pulling apart lightly and taking in some air.  
  
"They had some very good points though," Nick replied, also a little breathless.  
  
"Uh huh," Sara mumbled. She now, leaned in to kiss him again, this time more passionately. Emotions that accumulated over the years, finally releasing themselves from her, setting her free.  
  
His heart was glad, his head was at peace, and his lips burned with passion. 'So this is love – finally, ' he thought.  
  
~*~  
  
The day started out like any other, with the sun seeping through the window, drawing a glow around the room. Downstairs, the aroma of food was brewing, today's menu was warm, inviting, and very enticing.  
  
She woke up on her side, her left arm tucked under her pillow, and her free hand on top of the pillow. She smiled at the relaxed look on Nick's face. The man slept on his side, facing her, an arm protectively wrapped around her waist. This moment was perfect. With great bemusement, she reached up and ran her finger along his jaw line, feeling the light stubble under her fingertips. 'Beautiful,' she thought.  
  
He slit his eyes open, taking in the sun that filtered into the room, and feeling the warm finger running along his jaw line, feeling the warmth emitted by Sara's close proximity. He was calm, overjoyed. Her presence made him calm, stable, grounded; a feeling that he had never quite captured before. He captured this moment, and hoped that someday, he could wake up – just like this. He watched as Sara's eyes followed her finger, running down his face, studying the details of his face. The calmness in her face, and the focused look on Sara's face was nothing short of angelic; Nick studied it. The soft skin, the gap-toothed grin that peeked through parted luscious lips. 'Beautiful,' he thought.  
  
Their eyes met, and both needn't say a word, their eyes told the story the wished to tell, the words they wanted to speak. Both of them smiled, like fools, they were just captivated by each other's company.  
  
"Good morning," Evelyn uttered, eyes still focused on the newspaper in her hand.  
  
"Good morning," Nick and Sara answered, cheery, both with goofy smiles on their faces. They were both dressed casually, wearing comfortable jeans and short sleeved shirts. Today, the were trekking back to Las Vegas, leaving the warmth of Texas, and crossing over two states to the place they called home, the place were they have made their own individual lives.  
  
"Sleep well?" The Carrie questioned, eyebrow arched.  
  
"Very," Nick smiled, glancing at the Sara.  
  
"What time are you kids leaving," Robert asked.  
  
"We have to get going soon, but we'll wait till everyone gets up," Nick answered. He took the cup of coffee that Sara had made him, and took a long sip. She smiled, and looked out to the family who had welcomed her with open arms, who made her realize her feelings, and who gave her a chance to find Nick. She was thankful, indebted to them, and she just didn't know how to pay them back.  
  
It was around noon, and the sun was burning; while Nick stuffed the last suitcase to the back of the Tahoe. They were all set for their journey home, their new journey.  
  
"Oh, it was very nice to meet you," Evelyn said, holding Sara in a long embrace.  
  
"Don't ever be a stranger. And if Nick does anything, I mean anything, you just give me a ring, and I'll fly out to set my boy straight," Evelyn continued, giving her son a loving look.  
  
"And you, take care," Evelyn continued, pulling her youngest son into a hug. A large smile on her face, and a loving heart centered on the son who made her proud.  
  
"Take care of her, don't let her go," she whispered. Nick smiled, and nodded, a silent promise made.  
  
"It was wonderful to meet you," Carrie greeted, giving Sara a quick hug.  
  
"Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," she joked, indicating to Nick.  
  
"Why does everybody assume that I'm going to do something stupid," Nick asked.  
  
"It took you a 22 hour drive, teasing from your friends and some egging from your family to realize what a lucky man you are," Tim answered.  
  
"Point taken," Nick mumbled.  
  
"Thank you for everything," Kate said to Sara, giving her a quick hug.  
  
"No problem, you can always call if you ever need any help," Sara replied, breaking away from the cheery girl in front of her. Now a contrast to the sullen and brooding girl she first met.  
  
"Take care of him," Robert whispered as he stepped in to hug Sara.  
  
"Just know that you'll always have a place here," he continued, staring into her eyes.  
  
"This one's a winner," Carrie assured, giving Nick a peck on the cheek. Nick smiled as he hugged his sister.  
  
"I know she is," he answered, pulling back.  
  
"I'll see you around," Nick said to his father.  
  
"Take care," Robert answered, looking into his son's eyes. Nick understood, his father just wanted to remind him of the conversation they previously had. He nodded, and gave his father a light hug.  
  
"Well, we're off," Nick interrupted, hopping into the Tahoe.  
  
"It was very nice to meet everyone. Thank you for making me feel at home, and putting up with my city ways. Just remember that if you're ever in Vegas, to give me a ring,"   
  
"I'm sure we can find a way to cram you in my small apartment," she offered, climbing into the Tahoe's passenger side.  
  
"Thank you for the great homecoming, I'll try to come back soon," Nick said, putting the vehicle on drive.  
  
"Just remember not to come alone, she better be with you the next time you come back," Robert answered waving at the now blushing Sara.  
  
~*~  
  
It had been six months since they first truly found each other under the Texan sunset, by the lake. Upon their return to Las Vegas, Sara and Nick soon assumed a life together. Two months had passed after their trip to Texas, and the couple moved in together. It was with great happiness that after Catherine and Grissom's wedding in the Bellagio; that Nick also proposed. A pleasant surprise; it shocked everyone. Warrick was very glad, Catherine and Grissom heard the news upon their return from their honeymoon, Greg was ecstatic, Sara's family cried with joy and Nick's family celebrated.  
  
It happened on a day like any other, and Sara had just return from her shift, tired and wanting sleep. During the night, Nick had slipped a diamond ring on her finger and watched her sleep. The next day, she was surprised by the breakfast in bed.   
  
"Breakfast? In bed? What did you do?" Sara wondered, a little surprised by the gesture.  
  
"What? I can't do anything romantic for you anymore," Nick answered, pretending to feel hurt, and now snatched the tray back to the kitchen.  
  
"Wait, Nick –" Sara waved, her left waving past the light of the window. She froze. Nick froze, and turned around.  
  
"Oh my God," she gasped. Taking her hand and taking a closer look at the ring around her finger. She looked up at Nick in amazement, he had just placed the tray on the ground, and was now kneeling by the bed. He nodded.  
  
"Are you –" Sara questioned, still struggling to wrap her mind around the idea. Nick smiled.  
  
"Will you, Sara Sidle –" Nick began.  
  
"Yes," Sara squealed. Diving forward and wrestling Nick to the ground. She was on top of him, and they stared into each other's eyes.  
  
They had come so far in so little time, yet they weren't afraid, they weren't afraid to move forward. They were jaded by their single lives, and were now ready to move into a new phase in their lives – together.  
  
"Will you, Sara Sidle, prefer eggs over-easy or scrambled," Nick smiled jokingly. Sara playfully punched his arm, smiling.   
  
"Breakfast can wait," she suggested, giving him a soft kiss on the lips. Nick smiled mischievously.  
  
~* 6 months later *~  
  
Somewhere, the sun just above the sky, a man walked over to the mailbox that stood just left of the long driveway. He opened the box, and glanced through several envelopes  
  
'Bill, bill, letter, bill, letter, bill,' his mind sorted. Then, his eyes focused on a pearly white colored envelope.  
  
To: Sheriff Joe Ulster  
  
With great haste, he torn open the envelope. He smiled,  
  
'I knew they'd make it," he thought, reading the card as he walked back to his home.  
  
Announcing the marriage of Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes  
  
~*~  
  
FIN  
  
~*~  
  
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*  
  
A/N - I'd have to say that this chapter was more serious than the others; what can I do, people say that I'm an emotive and a conceptual thinker.   
  
Some of you might hate me for leaving the ending as it is, but we'll see what happens, a sequel CAN be done, only if things feel right. As of now, I plan to keep the ending the way it is. Thank you so much for the words of encouragement, I am absolutely blown away at how people have enjoyed this story, and it has really given me a positive outlook on writing. THANK YOU. And there's just so many of you who have reviewed, and well, I can't thank you enough, thank you again, I'm happy that you have given me feedback, time and time again. THANK YOU!  
  
Please: love it, loathe it, review it. - oceanwave 


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